The Hazards for Nesting Sea Turtles on Marco

A beach littered with towels, plastic cups, aluminum cans; abandoned broken beach chairs; a wheelchair left on the beach overnight; an ongoing beach berm project…add a recklessly driven ATV/golf cart through a posted sea turtle nest and it makes for an obstacle filled week for nesting sea turtles on Marco’s beach.  According to Marco Island Police Chief Tracy Frazzano, “As of now, FWC said no turtle eggs were injured and the golf cart was stolen and left abandoned at Residents beach.”

The Problem: According to the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s website, “beach furniture and other recreational equipment can reduce nesting success and increase false crawls on nesting beaches. Nesting females can become entrapped in beach furniture. Nighttime driving can disturb nesting females, disorient emerging hatchlings, and crush hatchlings attempting to reach the ocean. Tire ruts left by vehicles can extend the time it takes a hatchling to reach the ocean and increase their chance of being caught by a predator. Driving during the day can also cause sand compaction above nests resulting in lower nest success.”