August 31, 2013 — Endangered sea turtles are nesting in record numbers along the southeast Atlantic Coast this summer, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said on Friday, although they still face environmental threats from ocean pollution and a possible rise in sea levels.
Officials saw the nesting gains as a sign that 35 years of conservation efforts are paying off.
By mid-August, Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge on Florida's Atlantic Coast had nearly 1,150 green sea turtle nests, more than double the record it set two years ago, officials said.
In addition, Florida's Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge had more than 10,400 green sea turtle nests by late August, shattering its 2011 record, officials said.
Last year, nesting numbers were down for green sea turtles. Wildlife officials said they suspected that cold weather in March discouraged the turtles that nest earlier than other sea turtles. Their nesting season ends in November.
"We've had a banner year for green sea turtles," said Hobe Sound refuge manager Bill Miller.
The number of female nesting green sea turtles is estimated to have dropped by about 50 percent in the past 100 to 150 years, scientists say, although that trend may have been at least temporarily halted by the conservation efforts.
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