St. Lucie requests sea turtle protection

St. Lucie County’s Sea Turtle Compliance Team is encouraging residents and visitors to keep beaches sea-turtle friendly

this summer.

With Indepe n de nce Day approaching, residents and visitors are reminded that sea turtle nesting season runs through Nov. 15. The three species of marine turtles that nest annually on local beaches are green, loggerhead and leatherback, which are listed as endangered or threatened species.

Residents, businesses and visitors can help sea turtles by taking a few important steps:

■ Turn off any light sources that are directly visible from the beach or seaward of the primary dune between sunset and sunrise.

■ Remove all unattended beach furniture and other items, including garbage, from the beach at night. This ensures that hatchlings don’t get caught up on their way to the ocean. Marine turtle adults and hatchlings have died from entanglement in beach furniture.

■ Be sure to tear down sand castles and fill in any holes before leaving the beach, including holes dug by dogs at Walton Rocks Beach, St. Lucie County’s only dog-friendly beach, at 6700 S. Ocean Drive.

Please do not handle marine turtles, their hatchlings or their eggs, since disturbing them or their nests is a violation of state and federal laws and this carries criminal penalties.

To report marine turtle nest poaching, hatchling disorientations, harassment or dead marine turtles, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).

For additional information, visit the county’s Extension Office website at stlucie.ifas.ufl.edu/ seaturtle.