Sea Turtles Slowly Gain Ground

Charleston, SC – Endangered sea turtles are nesting in record numbers along the southeast Atlantic coast this summer, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Friday, although they still face environmental threats from pollution and a possible rise in sea levels.

Officials saw the nesting gains as a sign that 35 years of conservation efforts are paying off. By mid-August, Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge on Florida’s Atlantic coast had nearly 1,150 green sea turtle nests, more than double the record it set two years ago, officials said.

In addition, Florida’s Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge had more than 10,400 green sea turtle nests by late August, shattering its 2011 record, officials said.

“You can hardly walk on the beach without coming close to a nest,” said Hobe Sound refuge manager Bill Miller.

- Reuters