Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge

Sea Turtle Nesting

Sea Turtle Nests by Year and Species 2001 - 2013 (Includes south Brevard County, Sebastian Inlet State Park, and north Indian River County)
	2013	2012	2011	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001
Loggerhead	848	18,809 (record year!)	11,841	14,468	10,374	11,410	7,902	10,828	11,085	9,138	12,598	14,209	15,645
Green	0	3,419	6,023 (record year!)	4,479	1,332	3,138	4,490	1,609	3,638	982	670	2,970	198
Leatherback	24	51	77 (record year!)	59	41	29	74	19	68	19	53	19	47
Kemps Ridley	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

2010 Sea Turtle Nest Distribution
	Loggerhead	Green	Leatherback
South Brevard County	12,233n /9,904fc	4,093n /5,847fc	34n /3fc
Sebastian Inlet State Park	702n /627fc	109n /310fc	9n/0fc
North Indian River County	1,533n /1,657fc	277n /609fc	16n/2fc
Total	14,468n	4,479n	59n
*Footnote: n=nest, fc=false crawl

2009 Sea Turtle Nest Distribution
	Loggerhead	Green	Leatherback
South Brevard County	8,668n/8,170fc	1,184n/1,605fc	23n/4fc
Sebastian Inlet State Park	598n/424fc	52n/69fc	11n/0fc
North Indian River County	1,108n/1,136fc	96n/91fc	7n/0fc
Total Nests	10,374	1,332	41

Footnote: n=nests, fc=false crawl
Comments: Nest depredation for 2009 - 8 raccoons, 4 ghost crab, 70 coyotes

2008 Archie Carr N.W.R. Sea Turtle Nest Distribution Figures in red are false crawls.
	Loggerhead	Green	Leatherback
South Brevard County as of Oct 18	9502 7734	2772 3564	20 2
Sebastian Inlet State Park as of Sept 18	654 445	137 111	5 3
North Indian River County as of Sept 11	1252 986	214 202	4 0
Total	11,408	3,123	29

Daytime Nesting of a
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
April 15, 2003

2007 Archie Carr N.W.R. Sea Turtle Nest Distribution Figures in red are false crawls.
FINAL	Loggerhead	Green	Leatherback
South Brevard County	6,405 6,268	3,963 5,876	52 2
Sebastian Inlet State Park	538 414	214 180	9 2
North Indian River County	959 826	313 382	13 2
Total	7,902 7,508	4,490 6,438	74 6

n = nests; fc = false crawl

Leatherbacks:
New high record for leatherback sea turtles this year at 74 nests! Leatherbacks nested into July this year. Leatherbacks former high year was in 2005 with 68 nests in the Refuge.
Greens:
New high record for Greens this year at 4,490 nests. Previous high record in 2005 yeilded 3,638 nests in the Refuge.
Loggerheads:
Loggerhead sea turtle nesting is down this year.

2006 Sea Turtle Nest Distribution Figures in red are false crawls.
	Loggerhead	Green	Leatherback
South Brevard County	9,018 8,890	1,383 1,860	12 0
Sebastian Inlet State Park	619 551	74 58	1 0
North Indian River County	1,191 1,067	152 241	6 0
Total Nests	10,828 10,508	1,609 2,159	19 0

Noteworthy:
There was a green turtle nest laid north of the Refuge in the CBSA study site on 11 Nov. This may be the latest green turtle nest on record in Florida.

In South Brevard County:
Last leatherback nest on 19 June
Last Loggerhead nest on 16 September; last false crawl on 17 September
Last Green nest on 21 October; last false crawl on 9 November

2005 Sea Turtle Nest Distribution Figures in red are false crawls.
	Loggerhead	Green	Leatherback
South Brevard County	8,854 12,935	3,117 6,093	43 6
Sebastian Inlet State Park	867 668	238 216	8 0
North Indian River County	1647 1,645	223 444	17 0
Total Nests	11,085	3,638	68

Loggerhead nesting - first nest April 24, last nest Sept 11, peak nesting, last week June
Green nesting - first nest June 4, last nest Oct 5, peak nesting last week July
Leatherback nesting - first nest March 21, last nest June 25, peak nesting 3rd week June

2004 Sea Turtle Nest Distribution
	Loggerhead	Green	Leatherback
South Brevard County	7557	791	12
Sebastian Inlet State Park	492	66	2
North Indian River County	1089	125	5
Total	9138	982	19

Some 2005 Photos
At the beginning of the summer, we had lots of rainfall and cloudy conditions on the beach, which seems tohave affected hatching because some nests were taking over 65 days to emerge. The average time for loggerhead turtles to emerge is 53-55 days. What's really interesting about these reptiles, is that once the weather cleared up and we experienced the usual hot "dog days" of Summer, we were able to see incubation and emerging time speed up to around 45 days.

Photos by: Jennifer Lorenzo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Click picture for an enlargement. Use the BACK button of your Browser to return.

Last updated: May 22, 2013

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Invites Public to Provide Input to Environmental Assessment to Review Use of Genetically Modified Crops

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public input as it evaluates the future use of genetically modified crops on national wildlife refuges that use farming in the Southeast Region. These refuges use farming as a wildlife management tool to help meet refuge specific conservation objectives for waterfowl and other species.

Genetically modified crops (GMCs, GM crops, or biotech crops) are plants that have had their DNA modified by using genetic engineering techniques to improve growth and resist pests and other harmful agents. These crops have been used since their de-regulation by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in the mid 1990s. Since then, GMCs have become a widespread feature of American agriculture.

The public is encouraged to review information or attend public meetings that will be held in June. Comments will be considered and a determination will be made after addressing those comments and any new information that is accumulated during this environmental assessment. The 90-day comment period will end on July 28, 2013.

Fish and Wildlife Service Invites Public Comment on Spring Pygmy Sunfish Status, Critical Habitat Designation, and Draft Economic Analysis

Current evidence still suggests that the spring pygmy sunfish may become threatened with extinction in the foreseeable future. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has re-opened the comment period on the October 2, 2012, proposal to protect this sunfish under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and designate critical habitat, until May 29, 2013. In addition, the public can also review and comment on the draft economic analysis estimating the potential fiscal impacts of the critical habitat designation.

The spring pygmy sunfish is a spring-associated fish which is currently only found in a single spring system (Beaverdam Spring/Creek) in the Tennessee River drainage in Limestone County, Alabama. Historically, this sunfish was known to occur at two other sites in northern Alabama. The species’ decline has been attributed to water pollution, a reduction of water quantity, and impoundments. Threats to the fish and its habitat include proposed urban and industrial development, increased groundwater and surface water usage, and excessive stormwater runoff containing pesticides, herbicides, and suspended sediment.

Service Estimates Economic Impact of Critical Habitat Designation for Fluted Kidneyshell and Slabside Pearlymussel

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability of a draft economic analysis considering the impact of a proposal to designate critical habitat for two freshwater mussels proposed for listing as endangered.

If the two species are listed, and if critical habitat is finalized as it is proposed, the draft economic analysis suggests a range of economic impacts that are possible as a result.

In addition to opening a public comment period on the draft economic analysis, the Service is re-opening a public comment period on the proposal to designate critical habitat for these mussels under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for 30 days by May 29, 2013, in order to allow comments on the draft analysis and the proposed critical habitat designation. The Service first released the proposed critical habitat designation for public comment in October 2012.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Partners Starting Captive Breeding Program In Race Against Time to Prevent Extinction of Florida Grasshopper Sparrows

Vero Beach, Fla. -- In an effort to prevent extinction of the Florida grasshopper sparrow, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and many partners are establishing a captive breeding program for this species. Many believe that if current population trends continue the species could go extinct in three to five years.

The Rare Species Conservatory Foundation and the Service will be collaborative leaders of this captive breeding effort.

The captive breeding program will consist of trained volunteers and staff from the Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the Department of Environmental Protection going into the field during April, May and June at specified locations looking for eggs in nests. When and if eggs are found, some of them will be collected and taken to the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation in Loxahatchee, Fla. There, they will be placed in incubators, where the hope is hatchlings will emerge in 11-13 days, after which around-the-clock care will be provided to facilitate their survival. Ultimately, the hatchlings will be kept in captivity in the hopes that they will mate and breed.

“Captive breeding is labor intensive and challenging. It is generally done as a last resort and there are no guarantees. But we have to try,” said Larry Williams, the Service’s Florida State Supervisor of Ecological Services. “This is an emergency and the situation for this species is dire. This is literally a race against time.”

To Sniff out Illegal Wildlife Trade: Follow their Noses

Dogs never cease to amaze me – whether they are sniffing out bombs, providing eyes or extra hands for their partners, flushing out pheasant or retrieving waterfowl for hunters, or providing that 24-7 friendship only dogs can. I recently saw that our Southwest Region had used dogs trained to sniff out Jemez salamanders.

That’s why I am so excited to welcome the newest employees of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Wildlife Detector Dogs Viper, Butter, Lancer and Locket.

They are part of our latest effort to fight the rising international black market in endangered animal parts – a callous and brutal trade that drives its victims closer to extinction. Much of the illegal wildlife trade passes across U.S. borders and we do stop much of it.

In 2012 alone, we inspected more than 180,000 shipments of wildlife and wildlife products, and successfully executed one of the largest investigative operations ever mounted by the Service – Operation Crash – which broke a global rhino horn smuggling ring.

2013 Georgia Junior Duck Stamp Student Art Competition Winners

Euna Oh, a 15-year-old artist from Marietta, Georgia, has been announced as the winner of the annual 2013 Georgia Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition held April 3, 2013, in Atlanta, Georgia. Five judges unanimously selected Euna’s acrylic rendition of a pair of mallards out of 619 total entries as the Georgia Best of Show.

Oh will receive a $175 scholarship from Georgia Power, a long-time sponsor of the Georgia Junior Duck Stamp Program, as well as additional prizes. As Georgia’s Best of Show, her original artwork will be sent to compete in the national Junior Duck Stamp Competition being held Friday, April 19, at the National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia. The Junior Duck Stamp Contest is sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

“I’m so excited,” Euna Oh said. “My art teacher encouraged me to participate in the Georgia Junior Duck Stamp completion.”

Sea Turtle Nesting

Sea Turtle Nests by Year and Species 2001 - 2013

2010 Sea Turtle Nest Distribution

2009 Sea Turtle Nest Distribution

2008 Archie Carr N.W.R. Sea Turtle Nest Distribution

Daytime Nesting of aLeatherback Sea TurtleArchie Carr National Wildlife RefugeApril 15, 2003

2007 Archie Carr N.W.R. Sea Turtle Nest Distribution

2006 Sea Turtle Nest Distribution

2005 Sea Turtle Nest Distribution

2004 Sea Turtle Nest Distribution

Some 2005 Photos