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Thursday, February 2, 2023

2022 WAS THE SECOND HIGHEST RECORDED YEAR FOR THE SC SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON

RUSULTS OF THE 2022 NESTING SEASON IN SOUTH CAROLINA


What a great year 2022 was for the endangered Sea Turtles. The South Carolina beaches ended up with a total of over 8000 nests being counted and an estimated 535,000 hatchlings emerged in the summer of 2022.   

2022 was the second highest documented nesting year on record.  Many factors could impact the outcome of a Sea Turtles nest chances of survival.  Hurricanes, flooding, king tides, bad weather, animals, human interference and the list goes on. Hurricane Ian had come late in the season, while it had devastating impacts on land and Sea, it was later in the season with allot of the nest already hatched. 
  
A little bit about some of the protections and awareness has brought to the Sea Turtle populations: 

In 1977-1979 it was estimated that only about 8% of the Sea Turtle Nest hatched in SC.  Between the years of 1980-1990 with some protection in place about 80% of the nest hatched.

In 1980 the Sea Turtle and Stranding Network was started in SC.  In SC Sea Turtles that are stranded are taken to the SC Sea Turtle Care Center by a trained and permitted person.

In 1988 Turtle Excluder Devises (TEDS) were required in SC, and federally in 1991.  TEDS are used on boats that use bottom trawlers, they are designed to allow Sea Turtles and other larger sea life to escape through a large opening, allowing shrimp and smaller catch to go into the net, and larger sea life to escape.

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