SCCF relocates nests in advance of renourishment
Shorebird monitoring also starts
With the Captiva Erosion Prevention District’s renourishment project expected to begin this week, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported that its sea turtle team had moved 127 sea turtle nests as of Aug. 11 and was conducting a research study on hatching success.
The island-wide sand placement project includes a CEPD contract with the SCCF to move nests to avoid negative impacts. Nests relocated on Captiva were moved out of the project’s expected start area on the south end to the north end. As of Aug. 11, 48 nests with 4,804 eggs had been moved to the north end of Captiva. The team had also moved 79 nests to appropriate habitat on Sanibel, which required nightwork during peak season. Those nests contained 7,351 eggs.
The SCCF will continue to move every nest laid leading up to and during the 50-day project.
“It’s not an ideal time because it is sea turtle nesting season. However, SCCF received funding from CEPD to research the effects of sand quality on incubation and hatching success,” Chief Executive Officer Ryan Orgera said. “We are taking this opportunity to learn from the experience in a way that can inform global best management practices.”
The CEPD passed resolutions authorizing payments to the SCCF of $45,000 for the research project, as well as $120,000 to $176,000 for nest relocation, and more than $20,000 for shorebird monitoring.
The SCCF acquired permits from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to relocate nests for the project. New sea turtle team members also underwent required extensive training to minimize any negative impacts associated with egg relocation. When eggs are moved without rotation and within 12 hours of deposition, there is typically a high success rate.
“Our staff have been working night and day to ensure the best results for our turtles,” Coastal Wildlife Director Kelly Sloan said.
In addition, SCCF’s Coastal Wildlife department is conducting shorebird surveys.
State and federal permits require the contractors to meet certain requirements. Because it is still nesting season, daily surveys of the work area must be conducted to confirm there are no nesting birds. Staff conducting the surveys are approved by the FWC, so only experienced monitors will be tasked for the project. The daily surveys began 10 days prior to the start of construction and will continue through the end of nesting season on Aug. 31.
Staff also must conduct twice-monthly surveys of the whole island for threatened species, including red knots and piping plovers, the SCCF reported. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion for the project requires surveys for one full migration period (July 15 to May 15) for both species prior to the project, and for two years following each sand replacement event.
For the surveys, staff must record data including date, location, weather, tide and disturbances, such as the number of vehicles on the beach. All shorebird species on the beach are counted, and for each observation of the target species, additional information is recorded including number of individuals, band combinations, behavior and habitat features.
Construction for the project is set to begin as fall shorebird migration is starting to pick up and nesting season is coming to its end. Captiva is an important migratory stopover and wintering habitat for many species of shorebirds and seabirds, so the SCCF will monitor the impacts of the project on resident and migratory coastal birds.