Good news for sea turtle and nature lovers. Newly published research shows that sea turtle-friendly lighting ordinances in Florida's coastal communities are having a positive effect on the numbers of sea turtles nesting on the beaches in those communities.
The research, published by the University of Central Florida, points to an increase in the density of sea turtle nests on Florida beaches where lighting-limiting ordinances were in effect from 1992 to 2012. It also indicated a clear decrease in nest density in areas where lighting levels increased during the same period.
“It’s a success story. Florida’s coastlines are getting darker, and that’s a good thing not just for sea turtles but for other organisms,” said UCF biology professor John Weishampel, co-author of the study published last week. “It shows we affect turtles’ nesting, but at the same time we’ve been successful at reducing that effect.”
The research began as a high school science project by Weishampel's son, Zachary. Researchers used satellite data covering 368 one-kilometer sections of beach along Florida's coastlines to recording lighting levels, along with data on sea turtle nesting collected by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Florida serves as the nesting ground for roughly 90 percent of sea turtle nesting in the continental United States. Two of the three main turtle species that nest in Florida, green turtles and leatherbacks, are classified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as endangered.