Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sea Turtle Nesting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Beach status: leatherback nesting well above average; sargassum may threaten hatchlings
Summary
In a beach status presentation, the consultant reported 167 leatherback nests as of April 19 (about 70 more than the typical ~97 at this point), noted loggerhead nesting had begun, described several erosion hotspots, and warned that heavy sargassum can deter nesting females and increase hatchling mortality.
John delivered the monthly beach status report to the Beach Protection District, reporting that as of April 19 there were 167 leatherback nests documented, compared with the town's historical April average of about 97 nests. "This is definitely a year starting out very fast," he said.
He said loggerhead nesting has just begun and will increase into peak season in June through August. John described localized erosion "hot spots" between 33 North Beach and the public beach, and several other sections from North Beach Road down toward the S Curve where escarpments and berm adjustments have been observed following winter storms. He noted that feeder-beach designs have helped sustain beach width in some protected areas.
John also reviewed external forecasts: a Colorado State University forecast released April 17 projects lower-than-average hurricane activity this season, a result the presenter attributed to El NiF1o-related wind shear in the Atlantic.
Commissioners asked about sargassum. John said heavy sargassum can have two impacts: it can deter some nesting females from climbing far up the beach to lay nests, and if heavy at hatching it can trap hatchlings, increasing predation and losses. "It would typically tend to deter some of the females ..." he said, and added that heavy accumulations can "catch up the hatchlings, which then usually you get more predation and loss of hatchlings from that." The commissioners closed the discussion and adjourned the meeting.
