There is a large project underway near my home on Hutchinson Island.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been working to restore the heavily eroded beaches near the Fort Pierce Inlet. Part of the process is taking sand from the ocean floor and dredging it onto the beach.
It seems that climate change is taking a dramatic toll on Florida's coastlines. Natural dunes and sandbars have been decimated by rising sea level and rough storm cycles.
The resulting loss of beach isn't simply rough on the eyes or bad for tourism, it's also another dramatic obstacle for already endangered sea turtles to overcome.
It's sea turtle nesting season and where I live, Hutchinson Island, is "prime time" nesting area. The inlet project aside, the beaches here are pretty wrecked. (see photo below, taken on the beach near my home)
Less beach area translates into a higher probability that nesting turtles or hatchlings will come into contact with people, manmade structures or worse. It also means turtles are likely to dig nests that are closer to the tide line and could possibly be washed out in summer storm surges.
Beach restoration projects sound like the "answer' to the problem but they are far from it. The dredging itself is thought to imperil the turtles who might get sucked into the dredging hoses and drown. Also, re-sanding the beaches is an expensive endeavor...one that less and less tax-payers are willing to support.
The best course of action is unclear. Certainly something can be done that will balance the turtles' ecosystem needs with our recreational desires.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been working to restore the heavily eroded beaches near the Fort Pierce Inlet. Part of the process is taking sand from the ocean floor and dredging it onto the beach.
It seems that climate change is taking a dramatic toll on Florida's coastlines. Natural dunes and sandbars have been decimated by rising sea level and rough storm cycles.
The resulting loss of beach isn't simply rough on the eyes or bad for tourism, it's also another dramatic obstacle for already endangered sea turtles to overcome.
It's sea turtle nesting season and where I live, Hutchinson Island, is "prime time" nesting area. The inlet project aside, the beaches here are pretty wrecked. (see photo below, taken on the beach near my home)
Less beach area translates into a higher probability that nesting turtles or hatchlings will come into contact with people, manmade structures or worse. It also means turtles are likely to dig nests that are closer to the tide line and could possibly be washed out in summer storm surges.
Beach restoration projects sound like the "answer' to the problem but they are far from it. The dredging itself is thought to imperil the turtles who might get sucked into the dredging hoses and drown. Also, re-sanding the beaches is an expensive endeavor...one that less and less tax-payers are willing to support.
The best course of action is unclear. Certainly something can be done that will balance the turtles' ecosystem needs with our recreational desires.
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