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Page 2 <br />Results from the 2023 Sea Turtle Nesting Season <br />November 21, 2023 BCC Meeting <br />informs County Staff of annual nesting numbers but can be used to identify long-term and <br />emerging trends. <br />The 2023 nesting season marks the 19th year since the county -wide HCP has been <br />implemented. In 2023, the County beaches received its first nest on March 1st, a leatherback <br />nest near Turtle Trail Beach Access. Leatherbacks are usually the first to arrive in IRC followed <br />by loggerheads then greens. As of the writing of this agenda item, the last nest was laid on <br />November 2" d, a green sea turtle nest in the middle of Indian River Shores. The past five season <br />nesting numbers are displayed in the table below: <br />Season <br />leatherback <br />Nests <br />Loggerhead <br />Nests <br />Green <br />Nests <br />TOTAL <br />2023 <br />27 <br />8,639 <br />4,105 <br />12,771 <br />2022 <br />101 <br />7,431 <br />1,823 <br />9,355 <br />2021 <br />24 <br />5,629 <br />1,514 <br />7,167 <br />2020 <br />73 <br />6,217 <br />1,154 <br />7,444 <br />2019 <br />37 <br />6,159 <br />2,378 <br />8,574 <br />Results — The 2023 nesting season resulted in more nests laid in IRC than ever recorded. <br />Loggerhead sea turtles laid 8,639 nests, approximately a 15% increase over the previous year's <br />record number of 7,431 nests. Green sea turtles laid 4,105 nests, approximately a 55% <br />increase over the previous record of 2,634 nests laid in 2017. IRC is situated on the outer limits <br />of the leatherback nesting region, resulting in fewer nests. Leatherback sea turtles typically <br />nest in higher numbers in Martin County through Broward County, and along the Caribbean <br />islands. <br />50+ Years of Conservation Efforts — Prior to the County implementing the local HCP in 2004, <br />the U.S. Federal Government passed the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1973. The ESA is the <br />legislation that afforded protection to all the sea turtle species within the United States. The <br />U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service along with the National Marine Fishers Service of the National <br />Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are the branches of the U.S. Government <br />responsible for overseeing the ESA in reference to sea turtles. These branches work <br />collaboratively to suggest which wildlife populations are deemed threatened or endangered. <br />Knowing that an individual sea turtle takes between 20 to 30 years to mature, it's possible <br />that the County's beaches are seeing 2 new generations of sea turtles that are contributing to <br />the higher nesting numbers we are seeing now since sea turtles became protected 50 years <br />ago. <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />There is no action required by the BCC as this is being presented for informational purposes <br />only. <br />APPROVED AGENDA ITEM FOR: November 21, 2023 <br />