The Journey from Ocean to Nest on Marco

Did you know that female sea turtles always return to the same beach where they were born? 

Research on sea turtles has shown that female sea turtles are able to return to the same area and sometimes the exact beaches they hatched from decades earlier! Sea turtle experts call this process “imprinting,” where hatchlings imprint on the magnetic signature of their birth beach and later use the Earth’s magnetic field as a compass to return. Crossing thousands of miles in the span of several decades,shefindsherselfback on a piece of Marco’s sandy beach to deposit the next generation of eggs.  

If she hatched on Sand Dollar Island, this spit of sand has undergone significant changes over the last 30 years.Though the berm elevation and slope had been regraded to conform to the sea turtle nesting requirements, the composition of sand is not going to match what it was decades ago. Sea turtles, according to experts, prefer to lay their eggs above the high tide line in the sandy beach or dune area to prevent the nest from flooding and allow the eggs to breathe. Even with the latest regrading of the escarpment, sea turtles can still find the slope a challenge to navigate. 

In 2025, the productivity of the Loggerhead turtle nests in the area of the berm was markedly less than the area south and north of the berm. The sandy beach intended for the nesting of an endangered species is diminished by the regularly scheduled berm maintenance and repair project. In 2024, the vast majority of sea turtles visiting the berm area to nest resulted in false crawls, in contrast to the unmodified sections of Marco’s beaches. 

As most mothers to be in nature, this is a stressful time for female sea turtles. You can help her navigate a beach system that has undergone many changes over the years by minimizing human disturbance like vehicular traffic, bright light, and trash, just to name a few.   

According to The Nightly Beach Activity Report,building light violationswere observed,and since they cannot be immediatelycorrected,they are forwarded to Code Enforcement for follow-up. Code Enforcement will contact the property manager or responsible party on the next business day to initiate corrective action and compliance consistent with Chapter 162, Florida Statute. 

Repeat violations will be referred to the Special Code Magistrate for fines and further enforcement action. 

Note: The Nightly Beach Report is available on the MIPD Website.