2013 a good year for Green turtles

State biologists say this was a very good year for green sea turtles.

The number of green sea turtle nests in Florida this year was more than double the count of the previous highest year.

Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have documented more than 25,000 green turtle nests on 26 beaches in the state in 2013.

There were even 6 nests on St. George Island this year – 4 more than last year.

The trend for green turtles shows an exponential increase in nesting over the past 25 years.

In 1989, biologists documented only 464 green turtle nests.

In 2013, the nest count was 25,553.

They think the count is about 70 percent of green turtle nesting statewide.

The number of Leatherback sea turtle nests has also been on the rise over the past 25 years, but 2013 was not a good year.

322 leatherback nests were counted, nearly 200 fewer than last year.

There were nearly 45 thousand Loggerhead sea turtles nests counted this year – the record was just over 58 thousand last year.

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