During sea turtle season it is especially important to keep dogs off the beaches. (fb)

Our Monday nest survey team had a beautiful and productive morning with 8 confirmed nests and 10 false crawls recorded within our two-mile survey zone. What is a false crawl? A false crawl, also known as a non-nesting emergence (NNE), occurs when a female sea turtle crawls onto the beach but returns to the ocean without laying eggs. False crawls can result from various natural or unnatural factors, including unsuitable nesting conditions (e.g., excessive debris, steep beach profiles, or compact sand), disturbances (from predators or human activity), or internal physiological cues. Species Comparison: False crawl rates vary significantly among sea turtle species. Caretta caretta (loggerhead sea turtles) exhibit relatively high rates of false crawls in Florida. For instance, in Brevard County, 2024 data show 26,671 loggerhead nests accompanied by 45,044 non-nesting emergences. In contrast, Dermochelys coriacea (leatherback sea turtles) demonstrate much lower false crawl rates, with 128 nests and only 14 non-nesting emergences recorded in the same area. Tracking nests and false crawls is crucial for assessing nesting success rates and monitoring habitat suitability over time. Data collection and monitoring were conducted in accordance with Florida Marine Turtle Permit #MTP-067. #seaturtle #seaturtles #seaturtleresearch #seaturtleconservation #research #conservation #wildlife #nature #stps #nestingsurveys #brevard #brevardcounty (fb)