Publication findings highlight the importance of Pinellas County beaches as habitat for sea turtle nesting
CLEARWATER, FL (Dec. 20, 2024) – Researchers at Clearwater Marine Aquarium have published a scientific article titled Nesting Trends of Sea Turtles in North and Mid Pinellas County, Florida, USA, Over Three Decades,* analyzing data from 1990 through 2022 to identify trends in loggerhead sea turtle nesting numbers, nesting , and hatching success on Pinellas County beaches.
The article was written by Dr. Kerry McNally, Lindsey Flynn, Megan Davila, Carly Oakley, Diane Vorbroker of Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and Dr. Jake Lasala of Mote Marine Laboratory. The authors analyzed 33 years of Pinellas County sea turtle nesting activity data collected by numerous CMA staff, volunteers and interns. CMA is part of a statewide effort to monitor and protect sea turtle nesting on Florida beaches under the direction and authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“We analyzed data that the CMA sea turtle nesting team has collected during their nesting surveys for over 30 years, identifying nesting trends in Pinellas County,” said Kerry McNally, PhD, research scientist and rehabilitation manager at CMA. “We found that the number of sea turtle nests laid on Pinellas county beaches have increased over the years, showing that Pinellas County beaches are important to sea turtle populations.”
“We also found that the first nest of the season was observed earlier in the year over time, which is likely due to temperature changes affecting breeding seasons and the nesting sites,” said McNally.
Other Findings:
- The area hosts nesting activity of four species, with loggerhead sea turtles being the most abundant. The staff found between 1990 and 2022, 9,885 Loggerhead sea turtle crawls were observed in north and mid-Pinellas County.
- Nesting success was slightly over 50% for the study area, which is higher than other regions of Florida’s west coast.
- A minimum of 253,665 hatchlings emerged from nests over the study period.
- Several municipalities had nest counts that significantly increased over time, including Clearwater, Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, Madeira Beach and Treasure Island. Other municipalities (Redington Beach, North Redington Beach and Redington Shores) had no change in nest counts.
The results of this publication provide a baseline that can be used for comparison to data in future years and other studies throughout Florida. The information can also influence conservation management by highlighting that Pinellas County provides suitable habitat for an increasing number of sea turtle nests, and protecting this habitat is critical to sea turtles and other wildlife in the region.
The manuscript was published in the December issue of the journal Herpetological Conservation and Biology. The full article can be found at https://www.herpconbio.org/Volume_19/Issue_3/McNally_etal_2024.pdf.
*Herpetological Conservation and Biology 19 (3); 440 -453, Published Dec. 16, 2024.
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Media Contact: Marsha Strickhouser | mstrickhouser@CMAquarium.org | (727) 242-0770
- About Clearwater Marine Aquarium
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working marine rescue center dedicated to inspiring the human spirit through leadership in education, research, rescue, rehabilitation and release. With a mission to preserve the environment and its marine life, CMA is home to rescued dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, a nurse shark and more. Through Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, CMA conducts important global research focused on protecting manatees, North Atlantic right whales and sea turtles. Major motion picture Dolphin Tale (2011) and its sequel Dolphin Tale 2 (2014) features the true stories of rescued resident dolphins Winter and Hope, inspiring millions around the world. The mission and potential to change people’s lives differentiates Clearwater Marine Aquarium from any other aquarium in the world.
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