Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program
Current Projects and Research Focus
 Mote scientists tag a loggerhead sea turtle at night on Casey Key. Photo provided by Greg Nelson. |
| Kristen Mazzarella, MS Senior Biologist, Program Manager |
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For more than 30 years, the Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program has coordinated conservation efforts for 35 miles of Sarasota County shoreline. Throughout the program's history, we have monitored 52,485 turtle activities, protected 5,388 nests from predators, tagged 4,038 nesting turtles, protected 2,088,865 turtle eggs, and watched 1,499,946 hatchlings depart to become a future generation of loggerheads that will return to the region as they reach maturity — in about 30 years. The program includes staff, interns and volunteers who have documented the status of shoreline habitat and trends in sea turtle nesting. These data show that nesting by loggerhead turtles has declined, then rebounded in recent years, while green turtle nesting — although very low in numbers — has increased. Nest destruction by both natural and non-indigenous predators has also increased during the same time period. |
Internships The STCRP has multiple internships that allow students to assist with nest monitoring each summer. For the internship description and a link to the application. |
Nest Monitoring The Program plays a key support role to the Florida State Nesting Beach Program and the Index Nesting Beach Program. We evaluate patterns of nesting events and false crawls annually and take action to deter predators like raccoons and fire ants. The turtle program is responsible for monitoring 35 miles of beach that are patrolled daily during turtle nesting season May through October. Over 3 decades of monitoring, Mote staff, interns and volunteers have walked more than the distance from here to the moon. The outcomes of the community-based conservation network are summarized at the annual Marine Turtle Permit Holders Meeting, and you can download information on the statewide trends. |
Tagging Studies Tagging studies have continued annually from 1982 to the present on Casey Key during June and July — the peak of the loggerhead nesting season. The studies confirm that loggerhead turtles migrate to nest every two to four years and have reproductive lifespans measured in decades. Turtles are marked with external flipper tags and Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags. The nocturnal study of nesting turtles provides information on the activity, distribution and movement of turtles on the nesting beach and helps in the assessment of suitable nesting habitats. |
Satellite Tracking Turtles migrate long distances from feeding grounds back to the beaches where they were born. By attaching satellite transmitters to follow the turtles' migratory journeys, we can better evaluate potential threats far from nesting beaches. Our studies have found that Sarasota turtles journey to distant feeding grounds many hundreds of miles away in the northern Gulf, Mexico, around Cuba and the Bahamas. Follow the turtle migrations at the following links:
 Learn more at www.helpingseaturtles.org. |
Coastal Development Action and Education About 20 percent of south Florida's coasts are affected by coastal armoring — the effect of losing sand dunes to sea walls and rock revetments that protect coastal property. Rising sea levels and coastal armoring combine to threaten the sandy dunes that turtles use for nesting habitat and place increased emphasis on protecting the habitats that remain. Coastal development also includes beachfront lighting pollution, which confuses nesting females and disorients the hatchlings. We work to educate all coastal citizens to be responsible and keep turtles in the dark. Mote's support was essential in developing the Sarasota County Sea Turtle Protection Ordinances and amendments on beachfront lighting.
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Beach Renourishment Where beaches are eroding and nourished by pumping in sand, Mote's Turtle Program uses a before/after, control/impact approach to evaluate nest and hatching success. When necessary, eggs are relocated to safer areas for successful incubation. Mote has coordinated endangered species monitoring programs for nourishment projects on Longboat Key, Lido Beach, Siesta Key and the City of Venice. |
In-water Ecology Studies Surveys of the waters surrounding Mote's main Lab on Sarasota Bay and field stations in Charlotte Harbor and Summerland Key give us an idea of how turtle populations are responding to in-water hazards like harmful algal blooms and boat traffic. In-water capture, documentation and release of turtles provides valuable information on the population of turtles remaining year-round in central Gulf coast waters. The resulting population assessment of adult and juvenile sea turtles in the coastal and estuarine waters provide additional data on this critical life stage and aid in the management and conservation of sea turtles along Florida's central Gulf coast. |
Post-Rehabilitation Monitoring Occasionally, the Program has an opportunity to satellite tag turtles that have undergone rehabiliation in Mote's animal hospitals before they are released. Tagging rehabilitated male turtles is of particular interest because there are few other opportunities to study the habits of male sea turtles at sea. (Female turtles come ashore to nest every few years, but male turtles do not come ashore.) This post-release monitoring also allows us to study post-rehabilitation behavior and provides an indication of successful rehab. |
For the Classroom Teachers who want to integrate sea turtles into their science curriculum can download a recent article from the National Science Teachers Association. |
A Special Note about a Hoax Mote staff members have been receiving questions regarding an e-mail entitled "World Shame on Beaches in Costa Rica." This e-mail — which claims to show people illegally digging up turtle eggs for later sale — has been circulating for a few years now and is a hoax. |
Support Sea Turtles Don't hide inside your shell. Turtle populations have declined in recent years. We can't ignore that. Nor can we ignore the fact that we desperately need your financial support to bring them back. Help sea turtles...
 Donations are used to build raccoon-proof wire cages (raccoons are a major predator of sea turtle eggs), nest identification markers and tagging equipment. |
For Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteers only Are you a member of Mote's Sea Turtle Patrol? |
Mote Marine Laboratory has been a leader in marine research since it was founded in 1955. Today, we incorporate public outreach as a key part of our mission. Mote is an independent nonprofit organization and has seven centers for marine research, the public Mote Aquarium and an Education Division specializing in public programs for all ages.
