Clean, Dark and Flat

Sea Turtle season is in full swing. Currently there are 65 nests in the three beach areas. The North Florida region has 510 nest. Duval county has 75, Nassau County has 79 and St. Johns County has 356. These numbers should be celebrated. How can the general public help in the conservation effort of these magnificent marine species? Clean, Dark and Flat.
Clean means no trash which includes plastics and cigarette buds, and “beach armor”, commonly seen as abandoned chairs and tent frames. The cities provide trash receptacles at every access; use them.
Dark means lights should be dim, shielded, and low. Turtles are drawn to natural light. Artificial light can cause nesting females or hatchlings to be disoriented. This occurs when the turtles are confused and travel parallel to the beach instead of a natural path leading to the ocean. All three beach cities have light ordinances in place. These ordinances should be observed with equal attention as any ordinance on the books.
Flat means leave the beach in its natural state. One of the turtles’ biggest obstacles is a man-made hole. The hole can act as a “trap” for a nesting female or emerging hatchlings making their way to the ocean. Large sand castles should be created below the high tide line. These are obstacles that can be avoided by simply leaving the beach the way we find it.
Our beaches are beautiful and I know we are all grateful to be living in this community. The beach and dune systems are pristine ecosystems that should not be taken for granted. We should always want to maintain a high quality of life in our beach community. A true biological indicator that contributes to our quality of life is sea turtle population. In order for turtles to continue to use our beach and dune ecosystems for nesting, remember to keep these ecosystems clean, dark and flat.