Mote Marine Laboratory documents first local sea turtle nests of the 2025 season

Nesting crawl of a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) documented on Siesta Key, April 26.

Mote Marine Laboratory is excited to announce that its Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program (STCRP) documented the first local turtle activity of the 2025 season! On Saturday, April 26, STCRP’s Sea Turtle Patrol reported three loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle nests — one each on Longboat Key, Siesta Key, and Casey Key. These early nests mark the start of an important and exciting time for sea turtle conservation along local beaches.
The dedicated individuals of the Sea Turtle Patrol are at the heart of STCRP’s conservation mission. Comprising STCRP staff, interns, and more than 300 volunteers, the Patrol began its annual monitoring efforts on April 15, two weeks before the technical start of sea turtle nesting season.
“Even though sea turtle nesting season isn’t officially supposed to start until May 1, we begin patrolling early to ensure we catch the first signs of nesting on our beaches,” said Melissa Macksey, Senior Biologist and Data Manager of STCRP. “Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, interns, and staff, we’re able to cover a large stretch of coastline and monitor for early nesters. We couldn’t do it without them.”
From April 15 through October 31, the Sea Turtle Patrol conducts daily surveys of 35 miles of nesting beaches, from Longboat Key to Venice. Each morning, they scan the sand for signs of nesting activity and document each nest with care and precision. Their commitment is essential to the success of Mote’s long-term nesting research.
Loggerhead sea turtles are a threatened species protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. They are the most commonly observed nesting species in this region, followed by endangered green sea turtles. In recent years, Sarasota County has also occasionally hosted nests from Kemp’s ridleys and leatherback turtles.
Throughout the nesting season, STCRP staff and volunteers collect detailed data on nesting activity to track long-term trends and assess critical aspects of sea turtle ecology. These include phenological shifts (changes in the timing of nesting), nest density, hatching and emergence success, nest site selection, and the influence of environmental conditions. As in past years, each nest is marked with yellow stakes and flagging tape to prevent disturbances while data collection continues.
Mote’s monitoring has shown encouraging signs in recent years, including rising nest numbers along local beaches. In 2024, Mote documented nearly 4,400 nests from Longboat Key to Venice.
To follow along throughout the season, the public can view weekly sea turtle nesting updates at www.mote.org/nesting.

How to protect sea turtles

During nesting season, it is important to keep local waters and beaches sea turtle friendly.
Sea turtles are swimming just offshore to mate before the females come ashore to nest, juvenile turtles are feeding along the Gulf Coast, and by early summer the first hatchlings will venture into Gulf waters.
On the nesting beaches, light from waterfront properties can disorient nesting female turtles and their young, who emerge at night and use dim natural light to find the sea. Beach furniture, trash, and other obstacles can also impede sea turtles and their young.
Onshore
Do:
• If you encounter a nesting turtle or hatchlings, remain quiet and observe from a distance.
• Shield or turn off outdoor lights that are visible on the beach from May through October.
• Close drapes after dark and stack beach furniture at the dune line or, ideally, remove it from the beach.
• Fill in holes that may entrap hatchlings on their way to the water.
Do Not:
• Approach nesting turtles or hatchlings, make noise, or shine lights at turtles.
• Use flashlights or fishing lamps on the beach.
• Encourage a turtle to move while nesting or pick up hatchlings that have emerged and are heading for the water.
• Use fireworks on the beach.
• For more details, please refer to local sea turtle ordinances, including Sarasota County’s marine turtle protection code (which includes Lido, Siesta, Casey, and Manasota Keys), the City of Venice marine turtle protection ordinance, and the Town of Longboat Key marine turtle protection ordinance. An updated Longboat Key ordinance took effect in 2022. For questions about any sea turtle code or ordinance, contact code enforcement staff from each municipality.
On the water
• Follow Coast Guard-approved safe boating guidelines and use vigilance to avoid striking sea turtles and other large marine life.
• Be sure to stow trash and line when underway. Marine debris that accidentally blows overboard or out of a truck can become ingested by or entangled around marine life.
• Wear polarized sunglasses to better see marine life in your path.
• While viewing any large marine animals, follow 10 viewing tips (designed for dolphins, but suitable for other large marine species too). Click here for a PDF.
Emergency contacts
If you see a sick, injured, or stranded sea turtle, dolphin, or whale in Sarasota or Manatee county waters, contact Mote Marine Laboratory’s Stranding Investigations Program at 888-345-2335. Outside of Sarasota or Manatee counties, please call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
If you suspect that someone is tampering with a sea turtle nest, harassing a sea turtle, or has possession of a sea turtle or any of its parts, please call FWC or your local sheriff’s department.
Sea turtles are protected under federal law and any harassment or interference with a sea turtle, living or dead, their eggs and/or nest marking materials is subject to penalty.
Fast facts about Mote’s sea turtle monitoring:
• Approximately 300 volunteers assist Mote’s team of biologists and interns with daily monitoring of beaches.
• 35 miles of beaches are monitored from Longboat Key through Venice.
• 2025 is the 44th year of monitoring by Mote.
• In 2024, Mote documented nearly 4,400 nests.
• The top three years for the number of sea turtle nests in the Sarasota region have occurred in the last 5 years.
Follow weekly nesting numbers at mote.org/nesting
Nesting season in this region is officially May 1 – Oct. 31. Please consult all applicable laws and ordinances that may be in your area. Consult FWC’s website for information about ordinances that may apply to you.
Sea turtles, sea turtle eggs, and nesting marking materials are protected under state and federal law, and any harassment or interference with a sea turtle, living or dead, is subject to penalty.