The Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s Sea Turtle Monitoring Project is now in its 40th year, making it one of the longest continuously running sea turtle monitoring programs of its kind in the country. The Conservancy reports, since its inception, the program has documented more than 8,200 nests and helped some 380,000 hatchlings. In addition to documenting nests, protecting them from predators, and tagging and tracking sea turtles, the program works in collaboration with university researchers, government agencies and other environment-based nonprofits on a broad range of sea turtle research projects. About halfway through the current nesting season, the Conservancy’s sea turtle monitoring team has already documented more than 550 nests on Keewaydin Island. We’ll explore the history of this sea turtle monitoring project and its challenges, successes and findings with the Conservancy’s Director of Environmental Science and biologist Kathy Worley.
Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s Sea Turtle Research Program in its 40th consecutive year
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Measuring the loggerhead sea turtle "Emily" during a nesting event on Keewaydin Island
Kathy Worley, Conservancy of Southwest Florida
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"Emily" is a loggerhead sea turtle that Conservancy of Southwest Florida biologists have seen 13 times on Keewaydin Island since she was first flipper-tagged in 1988
Kathy Worley, Conservancy of Southwest Florida
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A loggerhead sea turtle hatchling makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico
Kathy Worley, Conservancy of Southwest Florida
