Grant: 24-012E
Project Title: Submeter units for more accurate nest GPS location in Gulf of Mexico
Project Manager: Melissa Macksey
Organization: Mote Marine Laboratory (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $9,752.75
Completion Date:
Summary: Mote Marine Laboratory's Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program (STCRP) has monitored sea turtle nesting in Sarasota County since 1982. Annually, from April 15 through October 31, 56 km of nesting beach is surveyed daily across five separate islands (Longboat Key, Lido Key, Siesta Key, Casey Key, and Venice). STCRP maintains one of the most (if not the most) complete, accurate, and long-term data sets on the west coast of Florida. Sarasota County contains the largest loggerhead rookery in the Gulf of Mexico, in 2023 on Casey Key loggerheads laid 152 nests per km. All of STCRP's monitored nesting beaches are part of FWC's Statewide Nesting Beach Survey and Nest Productivity Assessment, and a portion of Siesta Key is included in the Index Nesting Beach Survey. The data collected from our monitoring have contributed to important sea turtle research by Mote scientists, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, and collaborating scientists across the United States. Our dataset has created a baseline for normal nesting and hatching trends against which changes can be identified and tracked. These data form the basis for conservation decisions used to promote the recovery of sea turtle populations and the protection of sea turtle habitats. Submeter-accurate GPS units will allow STCRP to more accurately determine where nests are and will aid us by decreasing the excess waste and extra staff time. Decreasing the amount of staff time on every individual crawl will allow us to get off the beach faster and maintain our high level of consistency.
Results: