Protecting Sea Turtles During Sand Berm Project

Attachments

Sea Turtle Activity Update May 9 2..pdf

We are into our first month of sea turtle nesting season and in Marco, residents are voicing concerns about the Collier County Emergency Sand Berm project on South Beach and the Sand Dollar Berm/Dredging Project and their impact on sea turtle nesting season.

On May 15th, a night crew vehicle allegedly drove over a marked potential sea turtle nest. Marco Island Code Enforcement and FWC Law Enforcement were on scene the following morning to assess the damage (see City of Marco Press Release “Change to Tigertail Lagoon/Sand Dollar Island Restoration Construction” Press Release). There was also the carcass of a dead sea turtle floating near the auxiliary pumping station. FWC is investigating the cause of the turtle’s death.

For this week, monitors recorded 45 false crawls vs. 11 from the same time last year. Thirty-seven of those occurred in the construction zone at the north end, two from Hideaway Beach and six from the main beach. Mary Nelson, notable Marco “Turtle Lady” said, “The trucks and the renourishment is going to negatively impact the sea turtles. So far on Marco, we have had over 45 false crawls and only nine nests.  In a normal season, we’d expect to have just twice as many false crawls as nests. Sea Turtles must nest because they are continuing to produce eggs and may nest as many as three to five times. If they can’t nest, they will dump their eggs in the water or go somewhere elsewhere to lay them. If they were to go elsewhere, those hatchlings would return to that beach, not Marco (hatchlings return to the beach in which they were born).”

We’ve reached out to FWC’s Sea Turtle Regulatory Department for an update on the Sand Dollar Dredging Project/Berm Height and its impact on the sea turtle nesting season and are waiting to hear from them. According to Maura Kraus, principal Environmental Specialist for Collier County, “They will be tilling and sloping it better in the end, and hopefully this will be done soon.”

I reached out twice to the County’s Coastal Zone Management Project Manager, Andy Miller, who is overseeing the Collier County Emergency Beach Bern Project to get reassurance on the South Beach Emergency Berm Project as it relates to the sea turtles during the nesting season.  

The response from Miller’s office said, “The Collier County staff and crew are working diligently to ensure that beachgoers, crews, sea turtles and all creatures are safe and out of harm’s way during the project. Precautions are being taken in regard to sea turtle nests. Crews are keeping a wide perimeter around each sea turtle nest within the project area and not completing berm installation if it may impact the nests. Crews will complete installation once sea turtles have hatched from those nests. Contractors are expected in late May/early June and that section of the project is expected to be completed in about two weeks.”

Confirmed reports of a Smalltooth sawfish found dead at the pumping washout at the Sand Dollar/Hideaway dredging site were reported to FWC. I also reported the incident to FWC using the photo circulated on social media. 

According to FWC’s website, the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) is the only sawfish species found in Florida waters. The smalltooth sawfish is an endangered species and has been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 2003, making it illegal to catch, harm, harass or kill the fish. To report a sawfish sighting, or if you accidentally caught one, it must be promptly released unharmed and reported. Email: Sawfish@MyFWC.com or call 844-472-9347 (1-844-4SAWFISH).