Sea Turtles and Berm Update Post Hurricane Isaias

To report dead, injured or disoriented sea turtles on Marco call 239-289-9736 or 239-289-9687

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on October 9, 2026, as a Category Two Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. In Collier County, Isaias brought rain and elevated winds with threats of high surf and risk of rip currents in the coastal areas of Naples and Marco Island. For the sea turtles, “no nests were impacted,” according to J. Jewett, a sea turtle monitor for Marco Island.

On October 10, visitors to Sand Dollar Island observed escarpment practically leveled on the South portion of the berm; the tide and wave actions have created gentle slopes on the escarpment near marker R131. A breach formed with water rushing from the Gulf into Tigertail Lagoon north of R131. After assessing the damage from Hurricane Isaias, we can expect a berm repair and maintenance for 2027.

For the 2025 hurricane season, Florida dodged all storms and all was quiet on Sand Dollar Island.

The summer of 2024 brought Tropical Storm Debby (August 5) and Hurricanes Helene (September 27th) and Milton (October 9, 2024). The three storm events pushed sand against the mangroves and covered their roots, with breaches that extended over 2,000 feet in length (north to south), where the southern portion of the berm collapsed into the mangroves.

The City of Marco Island approved Earth Tech Enterprise for the repair/maintenance for damages from the three storms. The repair started on November 25, 2024, and was completed on February 25, 2025. After the project repair, Mohammed Dabees, Senior Engineer from Humiston and Moore, reported “After three storms, it took us only 90 days and basically $997,873 to restore a valuable, priceless ecosystem; tourist attraction and resiliency for 1/3 of Marco Island.” 

During an October 2024 meeting of the Hideaway Beach Taxing District, Dabees remarked, “the berm provides 80% sheltering for Hideaway and 20% for the County section of Tigertail Beach Lagoon. Without the berm, all those waves breaking on the sandbar would otherwise break on Hideaway’s shoreline.” 

On August 29, 2023, Hurricane Idalia impacted Southwest Florida even though it made landfall at Keaton Beach, over 350 miles away. On August 28, 2023, Marco Island declared a State of Emergency in anticipation of Hurricane Idalia, which resulted in a total of nine breaches to the newly installed berm. Marco City Manager McNees used his emergency authority to have the City fund an emergency repair for $47,528 to reclaim beach sand displaced by TS Idalia.

It all began on November 1, 2022. The Tigertail Lagoon/Sand Dollar Island Ecosystem Restoration Project started and was completed in June 2023. This is a 15-year Joint Coastal Permit (JCP) issued by the FDEP, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and FWC and provides for periodic maintenance and allows for event driven emergency repairs and will expire on February 2037.

Prior to its completion in May, 2023, the City of Marco Island released this statement:

“When the project is completed, sea turtles and other wildlife will have a larger beach habitat on which to nest, mangroves will be restored, and water quality in the lagoon will be improved for recreational activities.”