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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Halmos Student Tags First Sea Turtle Nest
Lexi Peterson
On March 1st, Lexi Peterson a master’s student in the Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography was lucky enough to mark the first nest of the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program (BCSTCP). This nester was a leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) weighing up to 2,000 pounds, Leatherbacks tend to be the earliest nesters on Florida’s beaches. They are so large that their tracks are often mistaken for tractor tracks.
Every year the BCSTCP conducts nesting surveys from March 1st to October 31st. They look for tracks from three species of turtles that are regular nesters in this region: the leatherbacks, the loggerheads (Caretta caretta), and the greens (Chelonia mydas). Florida accounts for 70% of the nation’s sea turtle nesting and Southeast Florida, from the Space Coast to the Gold Coast, is the second most important nesting area in the world for loggerhead sea turtles. By monitoring nests and creating public awareness, the BCSTCP helps protect these fragile creatures.
