An unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) aerial image of Boca Raton beach capturing the tracks of a nesting sea turtle. (Image credit: Florida Atlantic University)
Florida’s beaches—particularly those in Palm Beach County—are among the world’s most vital nesting grounds for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), accounting for 90% of all loggerhead nests in the Southeastern United States. Where a sea turtle chooses to nest is a delicate balance between the energy spent searching for the right spot and the benefits that location provides for successful egg incubation.
Because nest placement directly influences hatchling survival, emergence success, and even sex ratios, understanding the factors that guide these decisions is critical. Changing coastal and environmental conditions, sea level rise, and other impacts threaten these fragile habitats, altering the limited environmental conditions that turtles depend on for nesting. By identifying areas with higher or lower nesting activity, researchers can better understand what makes certain habitats more suitable and work to protect them for future generations…