Florida Sea Turtles Set 13,770-Nest Record as Trump ESA Rollback Threatens Recovery
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 16
Florida Sea Turtles Set 13,770-Nest Record as Trump ESA Rollback Threatens Recovery
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 16
Summary
Loggerheads have already laid 13,770 nests along an 8.5-mile stretch at Juno Beach, hundreds above any previous year, with more than two months left in Florida’s nesting season.
Sanibel Island also broke its record at 922 loggerhead nests, topping 2023’s 878 and reinforcing a statewide rebound that conservationists tie to decades of Endangered Species Act protections.
Wildlife groups say that recovery took 20 to 30 years to materialize because sea turtles mature slowly, making this season’s gains a delayed payoff from protections dating back to the 1970s.
Trump’s repeal last month of parts of the ESA, alongside a rule giving more weight to economic considerations, has prompted a lawsuit from environmental groups that fear habitat and species safeguards will weaken.
The ESA is credited with protecting more than 1,700 species and preventing 99% of listed species from going extinct, while Florida groups say state rules and rescue efforts still offer some support.