BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Beachgoers will have to keep an eye out for some annual guests on South Florida shores. March 1 marks the official start of sea turtle nesting season in Broward County.
In 2020, Broward officials documented more than 3,000 nests on the county’s 24-mile coastline. That includes nests that were part of the earliest recordings in Broward’s sea turtle conservation program. Long-term trends suggest increases in the local nesting population.
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Artificial lighting is one of the biggest threats to sea turtles in South Florida. It causes hatchlings to become disoriented or confused. Local coastal municipalities are following criteria for lighting on the beach, established by the Florida Wildlife Commission.
Some of the ordinances call for lighting near or on the beaches to be mounted as low as possible, shielded from the beach, and the fixtures and their bulbs must produce long wavelength light. Such as amber and red LED lights.
Nests for leatherbacks, loggerheads and green turtles can be found along the beaches throughout the sea turtle season that runs through October 31.