By Anika Schmid
Pelican Harbor Seabird Station’s Speaker Series “All About Sea Turtles” was held on September 11, 2024. The event was hosted by sea turtle biologist Emily R. Bernfeld and lighting program coordinator Sophia Brown from the Miami-Dade County Sea Turtle Conservation Program (STCP). These biologists shared information about how they monitor sea turtle nesting sights and report disoriented hatchlings to the state.
Nearly all sea turtles are listed as critically endangered, endangered, or threatened. Human activities influence many of the challenges that sea turtles face. While Pelican Harbor does not have the proper facilities to care for sea turtles, following the conservation strategies of the STCP and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) can help protect the sea turtle population and marine ecosystems.
Miami-Dade County’s Sea Turtles
March to October is the nesting season in Miami-Dade County. There are seven species of sea turtles: Kemp’s Ridley, Olive Ridley, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Green, Hawksbill, and Flatback. Loggerhead, Green, and Leatherback are the only three sea turtles that nest in Miami-Dade County, as Kemp’s Ridley and Hawksbill pass by the area.
Loggerhead
Loggerhead Sea Turtles are the most common nester in Miami-Dade County, accounting for about 95% of the nesting population. They nest from mid-April to early September. They typically weigh up to 200 to 400 pounds. Loggerheads are known for their large skull; they need a big jaw to crush conch shells and crustaceans. The diet of adults consists of shellfish and crustaceans.
Nesting Loggerhead Sea Turtle. All sea turtle activities in Miami-Dade County are conducted by authorized personnel under FWC MTP-25-150.
Green
Green Sea Turtles make up about 5% of nesting turtles in Miami-Dade County. They nest from mid-May to September. They can weigh from 300 to 500 pounds, making them the biggest hard-shelled sea turtle. Despite weighing more than Loggerheads, Green Sea Turtles have smaller heads. Their adult diet consists of seagrasses and algae. The fat of Green Sea Turtles turns green, which is how they got their name. The character Crush from the Pixar animated film Finding Nemo is a Green Sea Turtle.
Leatherback
Leatherback Sea Turtles make up about 5% of nesting turtles in Miami-Dade County. They nest from mid-March to June. Weighing 1,200 to 2,000 pounds, Leatherbacks are the largest sea turtle in the world. They are the closest living relative to the extinct Archelon. Leatherbacks are the only sea turtles without a hard shell, and they dive deep to catch big jellyfish, which is their main diet. Their papillae help prevent the prey they are eating from escaping.
Leatherback Sea Turtle. All sea turtle activities in Miami-Dade County are conducted by authorized personnel under FWC MTP-25-150.
Sea Turtle Conservation
Conservation is the protection of something from change or loss. Sea turtles are a keystone species, meaning they support ecosystem function and balance. Sea turtles transport nutrients to different areas, which makes them thrive and increases biodiversity.
Kemp’s Ridley and Hawksbill are critically endangered. Green Sea Turtles are endangered. Loggerhead, Leatherback, and Olive Ridley are threatened. There is insufficient information on the conservation status of Flatback Sea Turtles, as they are located in Australia.
STCP’s Role in Sea Turtle Conservation
Miami-Dade County STCP works within the EECO (Environmental, Education, and Conservation Outreach) division for the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces Department. Emily Bernfeld and Sophia Brown are authorized sea turtle personnel under an FWC permit.
From March 1 to October 31, the nesting season, STCP staff survey 19 miles of beaches every morning — from Golden Beach to Key Biscayne. They mark off nests with stakes and collect data for FWC and other federal agencies. A few days after a sea turtle nest hatches, STCP staff will excavate the nest and count the number of eggs that hatched and those that remain unhatched.
Only one in a thousand sea turtle hatchlings makes it to adulthood. There are many ways for ordinary people to protect sea turtles and marine life.
Prevent Boat Strikes
Boat strikes are the number one cause of strandings in Miami-Dade County. Strandings occur when a sea turtle is not able to swim properly in the ocean. Propellers can instantly kill sea turtles or cause severe paralysis. The spine of sea turtles is fused to the shell. When a boat hits the back of a sea turtle’s shell, it could break their ribs and puncture their lungs, causing them to drown. Positive buoyancy disorder, also called “bubble butt,” can occur when boat strikes create air pockets in their shell.
NOAA Fisheries advises the following to protect marine animals from boat strikes:
Follow all speed zones.
Always be alert.
Keep a distance of at least 100 yards from a sea turtle.
Wear polarized sunglasses to see marine animals better.
Avoid Single-Use Plastics
Single-use plastic breaks down into smaller pieces, known as microplastics, and causes marine life to choke or become sick. Microplastics and macroplastics are often ingested because they are mistaken for food by wildlife. Some examples of this are shopping bags, bottle caps, coffee cups, utensils, food wrappers, and straws. Use reusable items that can be washed instead of thrown away, like reusable cups and lunch boxes.
Dispose of Fishing Gear Properly
Sea turtles are constantly entangled or captured in fishing gear. A turtle excluder device (TED) has helped reduce the number of sea turtles caught via bycatch, the unintentional capture of non-target marine animals. Research suggests that using circle hooks instead of “J” hooks prevents sea turtle catches.
Reduce Artificial Lighting
Sea turtles follow the brightest horizon — the moonlight reflecting on the water. Human-made light sources can confuse sea turtles’ way-finding ability while on land. While sea turtles are crawling and confused by artificial light sources, they expend a lot of energy and are thus at a higher risk of dehydration, exhaustion, and death. Increased coastal development is a very large problem, especially in southeast Florida, since there are more light sources.
Artificial light issues commonly affect hatchling sea turtles. Disorientation events occur when sea turtles are lost, confused, or do not make it to the ocean because of artificial lighting. Baby hatchlings are sometimes found in the morning, but other times they are not. STCP members are permitted to document these disorientation events and are required to find out what happened to every sea turtle track.
A sea turtle hatchling. All sea turtle activities in Miami-Dade County are conducted by authorized personnel under FWC MTP-25-150.
Artificial lights also disorient seabirds and migratory birds. It causes collisions, entrapments, strandings, groundings, and interference with navigation. The intensity and color of light have the potential to confuse birds.
Most wildlife lights are recommended to be orange, amber, or red in color because these colors emit longer-wavelength lights, which are less disruptive to animals. Shorter-wavelength lights, such as those with white, blue, or green color, tend to be more disruptive to sea turtles and other wildlife.
People who live in beach units should abide by the following:
Close blinds at night (after 9 PM). Consider installing blackout curtains or window tinting.
Shut off interior lights when not in use.
Keep exterior lights low, shielded, and long. This follows the FWC’s wildlife lighting criteria.
Turn off phone flashlights when walking on the beach. Carry a red flashlight instead.
Follow local lighting ordinances. Search for your municipality on Municode and look up “sea turtle.”
Use Reef-Friendly Sunscreen
Reef-friendly sunscreens are formulated without harmful chemicals like oxybenzone and octinoxate, which have been linked to coral bleaching, DNA damage in coral, and disruption of marine ecosystems. Avoid the following ingredients: oxybenzone, octocrylene, octinoxate, parabens, avobenzone, and homosalate.
Be Mindful of Marine Life
While at the beach, make sure to keep your distance from any wildlife. Do not feed, pet, or do anything that could interfere. If you see any lethargic animals, contact your local authorized personnel.
Miami-Dade County STCP Adopt-A-Nest Program. All sea turtle activities in Miami-Dade County are conducted by authorized personnel under FWC MTP-25-150.
Knock Down Sandcastles and Fill in Holes
If sandcastles or holes block a hatchling’s way to the ocean, they could fall into the hole or get stuck and become very lethargic. Before leaving the beach, fill in holes and knock down sandcastles to decrease sea turtles’ vulnerability to exhaustion.
Do Not Leave Anything Behind on the Beach
Be sure that anything you take to the beach returns home, including trash, chairs, food, umbrellas, and towels. Any unnatural items on the beach can be a hazard for sea turtles.
STCP works with beach vendors to ensure chairs are stacked properly, preventing hatchlings from getting lost. When nesting mothers hit obstacles like stacked chairs, their nesting attempts are obscured. STCP staff also report these incidents to the state.
If You See a Stranded Sea Turtle
Call the Miami-Dade County STCP stranding line (305) 310-3046 if you encounter a sick, injured, entangled, stranded, or dead sea turtle on the beach. If they cannot be reached, call the FWC 24-hour Wildlife Alert line: (888) 404-3922. Keep your distance and wait for an authorized individual to arrive or provide further instructions.
To report poaching or vandalism, call the police or the FWC Wildlife Alert line at 1-888-404-3922
