Beach News

We want to thank the Winter Shorebird Stewards for their passion and love of Marco’s migratory birds. The Winter 2022-23 reports are back and according to Brittany Piersma, Biologist for the Audubon of the Western Everglades, “though we faced challenges reaching locations and finding flocks, post Hurricane Ian, this did not prevent our dedicated group of Winter Stewards from continuing their goal of reaching and educating out as many beachgoers as they can reach and also take surveys of winter shorebirds in multiple areas.”

“These areas included Clam Pass in Naples and on Marco Island, Sand Dollar and Kice Shoals,” said Piersma. “Compared to previous years, there appeared to be less birds in our area this winter. The dredging project in the Tigertail Lagoon also took away vital mudflats and caused mass disturbances all winter.”

Also, red tide came in quick waves and Piersma noted that they continued to get sick and injured birds that were transported to the von Arx Hospital. Their team witnessed a large amount of dead fish, sea turtles and marine mammals.

Starting in mid-April, stewarding of Kice Shoals near Caxambas will be added. This location is a hotspot for boaters, kayakers and shellers. Piersma said that this is also an excellent nesting habitat for least terns, black skimmers and Wilson’s plovers that need protection.

2022-23 Winter Season Stats:

• 3,162 citizens educated
• 177 surveys
• 813 Band Re-Sights
• 62 Rescued Birds

Sea Turtle Season is from May 1st – October 31st! Something new for 2023 – and that is the changed nature of Sand Dollar Island. As reported by the Sea Turtle Monitors, this area historically featured the highest density of sea turtle nests as they preferred nesting in the dark and quiet of Sand Dollar Island. With the current landscape change, it will be a challenge for sea turtles to climb up a 6-foot berm to nest.

Save the Sea Turtles:

• Knock down sand castles and fill in holes.
• Turn out lights – this confuses the hatchlings and directs them inland instead of to the ocean.
• It also discourages adult females from nesting on the beach.
• Dispose of trash properly – large pieces of trash can create a barrier for sea turtles searching for a nesting site.  
• Use reusable cloth bags – a hungry sea turtle can easily confuse a plastic bag for food or jellyfish.

South Beach Emergency Berm Project Update

The Office of Coastal Zone Management Section Project Manager, Andy Miller, provided me with the following update on the South Beach Emergency Berm Project.

Sea Turtle Protection during the project: Extra precautions will be taken to protect their nests. Collier County staff and crew will be working diligently to ensure that beachgoers, crews, sea turtles, and all creatures are safe and out of harm’s way during the project.

I also reached out to Maura Kraus, Principal Environmental Specialist for Collier County, and she confirmed that they are working with the State on marking nests 10 feet out to keep them from interfering with sea turtle nests. The State is only allowing for “mark and avoid” and no relocations are permitted. 

South Beach Berm Project

• Start date of project: Late May or early June
• Height of Berm: two to three feet.
• Staging area:  Marco’s South Beach.
• Hours of Operation:  7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. 
• Truck Route: The trucks will use I-75, exit at mile marker 101, and use Collier Blvd. south to Marco Island.

According to the Collier County Coastal Zone Management, sand is being sourced from two Florida mines, Stewart Mine in Immokalee and Vulcan Mine in Moore Haven. Money for the approximately $20 million project has been allocated from Tourist Development Tax funds. It is anticipated that FEMA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will provide reimbursement for the expenditure. Contractors are aiming to finish by late May/early June. Hurricane Season officially begins on June 1.