Hurricane washed out turtle nests, but it's still a banner year

The gyre that became Hurricane Hermine affected most of the sea turtle nests remaining from Longboat Key to Venice late last month and into early September — washouts that came after a record number of nests this year.

But the good news for fans of the sleek beasts is that most of the nests had hatched before the storm, according to Sarasota's Mote Marine Laboratory.

Of the record 4,447 nests laid so far this year on Mote-monitored beaches, 1,700 had yet to hatch before the storm.

Of those:

■ 686 nests were deemed “total washouts” by Mote, or unlikely to produce any hatchlings. One hundred eleven were on Longboat Key, 43 on Lido Key, 94 on Siesta Key, 370 on Casey Key and 68 in Venice.

■ 66 nests were observed in standing water, meaning they are unlikely to produce any hatchlings.

■ 400 nests experienced "accretion," or sand piled on top of them by the wave action created by Hermine. Many accreted nests have a chance to hatch if the water drains from the sand.

The washouts could be overestimated because Mote considers "total washouts" to be when the nests' marking stakes are knocked away and the nest cannot be found. There still could be hidden viable nests.

“The bottom line is: We lost some nests to nature, and yet we may have hatches from areas without stakes, so we encourage everyone visiting, working or living along our beaches to be on the lookout and continue to be turtle-friendly until the end of nesting season, Oct. 31, even if you see few or no marked nests in your area,” said Kristen Mazzarella, senior biologist with Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program.

Even with the storm impacts, this will be a highly productive year for sea turtle nesting in the area that Mote monitors. Those 4,447 nests were the most recorded in Mote’s 35-year history of sea turtle conservation.

Sea turtles also compensate for some storm impacts, Mazzarella said.

“Sea turtles have nested in areas with strong storms for millennia,” she said. “Each turtle normally lays several nests per season, spread out in time. This maximizes their chance to produce a successful hatch.”

Only a handful of new nests were laid locally during the past two weeks.

For weekly figures on news nests, visit mote.org/2016nesting.

Mote scientists expect to share final nest counts after the season ends on Oct. 31.

Do

■ Remain quiet and observe from a distance if you encounter a nesting turtle or hatchlings.

■ Shield or turn off outdoor lights that are visible on the beach from May through October.

■ Close drapes after dark and put beach furniture far back from the water.

■ Fill in holes that may entrap hatchlings on their way to the water.

Do not

■ Approach nesting turtles or hatchlings, make noise or shine lights at turtles.

■ Use flashlights or fishing lamps on the beach.

■ Encourage a turtle to move while nesting or pick up hatchlings that have emerged and are heading for the water.

■ Use fireworks on the beach.

If you find sea turtle hatchlings that are not on the beach or are headed away from the ocean, call Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program for instructions: 941-388-4331. Put rescued hatchlings into a bucket with a layer of damp sand and cover the bucket with a towel. Do not put hatchlings in water or take them into air conditioning. Hatchlings heading toward the ocean should be left alone. Sea turtles are protected under federal law and any harassment or interference with a sea turtle, living or dead, is subject to penalty.

How to be turtle-friendly on the beach