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Researchers: 2,558 sea‑turtle nests recorded on Jupiter Inlet Colony beach in 2025
Summary
Sarah Hirsch of the Loggerhead Marinelife Center told the Jupiter Inlet Colony commission that surveys documented 2,558 sea‑turtle nests on the town’s monitored beach in 2025, the majority loggerheads, and urged residents to follow lighting and beach stewardship guidance.
Sarah Hirsch, director of research at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, told the Jupiter Inlet Colony Town Commission on March 9 that volunteers and staff documented 2,558 sea‑turtle nests on the town’s monitored beach in 2025. That total included 18 leatherback nests, 2,087 loggerhead nests and 453 green‑turtle nests.
Hirsch said the local stretch now has “a nest about every 2 feet,” and described the daily work behind the tally: pre‑sunrise beach drives to identify crawls, GPS points for each crawl, re‑checks the following day and selective staking of nests that are monitored daily for emergence, predation and overwash. The monitoring program dates to 1998 and was transferred to Loggerhead and partner organizations in the 2000s when state reporting requirements increased.
The density and multi‑species mix make the beach one of the state’s most important nesting sites, Hirsch said, underscoring management steps residents can take to improve hatchling survival. “Keep it low, keep it long, and keep it shielded,” she advised on lighting, explaining that low placement, long‑wavelength (amber/red) bulbs and shielded fixtures reduce disorientation of hatchlings. She also urged residents to flatten sandcastles, fill holes, remove beach furniture nightly and avoid flash photography.
Hirsch clarified that formal lighting surveys and enforcement are handled by Palm Beach County under its sea‑turtle protection and sand preservation ordinance, and she provided state and LMC hotlines for reporting injured or dead turtles. She also offered to make presentation materials available online.
Why it matters: High nesting density concentrates conservation risk and requires coordinated action by residents, local government and county enforcement to reduce artificial lighting, manage beach use and preserve nesting habitat. Follow‑up: LMC recommended residents consult Florida Fish and Wildlife’s sea‑turtle‑friendly lighting guidance and contact the LMC or FWC if they observe injured animals.
