Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nesting and Beach Development

Loggerhead sea turtle nesting beaches are threatened by artificial lighting that disorients hatchlings, beach development, and climate change altering sand temperatures that determine offspring sex.

Key Facts

Loggerhead sea turtles return to nest on the beach where they were born after 20 to 30 years at sea
Artificial lighting from beachfront development disorients hatchlings who follow light away from the sea
Sand temperature during incubation determines sex in sea turtles with warmer temperatures producing more females
Florida beaches host the largest loggerhead nesting population in the Atlantic with over 60,000 nests annually
A single loggerhead may nest every 2 to 3 years, laying 3 to 5 nests of 100 or more eggs per season

Welfare Considerations

Hatchlings disoriented by artificial lighting head inland instead of to the sea, exhausting themselves and dying from dehydration, predation, or vehicle strikes. Nests incubating at higher temperatures from climate change produce female-skewed populations threatening long-term reproductive viability. Sea level rise and beach erosion threaten nesting habitat. Each of these harms is tractable — turtle-friendly lighting is inexpensive, temperature monitoring and nest relocation programs can compensate for some warming effects, and beach conservation programs protect nesting habitat.

What You Can Do

Turn off or shield beachfront lights during nesting season May through October in Florida
Support turtle-friendly lighting ordinances in coastal municipalities
Volunteer with sea turtle nest monitoring and hatchling escort programs
Donate to Caretta Research Project and similar nesting beach conservation organizations