SCI/TECH: Fewer Sea Turtles Have Nested in South Florida This Season., page 1

posted on Jul, 28 2004 @ 06:06 PM

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This year, loggerhead nests found in South Florida are considerably less than it has been expected. Other species of turtle nests have been reported also as being lower. The cause for this is yet unknown but some theories have been given.

Fewer sea turtle nests counted on South Florida beaches
"Our loggerhead numbers are considerably lower than what we expected," Martin said. "I think this is definitely a red flag."

Florida had about 84,400 loggerhead nests in 2000, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Last year, there were fewer than 64,000.

Before that drop, loggerhead nests had increased from about 10,000 in 1979 to nearly 81,000 in 1995.

"This drop could be an indication possibly that some environmental conditions have affected the loggerhead's food supply," Martin said. "Maybe there has been something to affect the population, like disease."

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

Program director for the Florida Oceanographic Society, Philip Baldwin, along with others have stated that it is still too early to draw any conclusions and perhaps it will work just fine. But, this is not just happening to sea turtles, several species of animals seem to be affected lately by unknown reasons as has been reported on ATSNN before. Should we worry? How long would it be before we are the ones being affected? The problem with the turtle nests are not only found in South Florida as the information in the links below shows.

Related News
Where are the sea turtles?

Fewer loggerhead turtles nesting in SC, East Coast

ATSNN Links

1,500 Homing Pidgeons Get Lost in a Race in Sweden.

NEWS: Brown Pelicans Are Washing Ashore in California Beaches in Near Dead Conditions.

[edit on 28-7-2004 by Muaddib]

27jd

posted on Jul, 28 2004 @ 06:29 PM

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Maybe the sea turtles know something we dont, possible dirty bomb attack on FL!

That or maybe they hate America now too.

Muaddib

posted on Jul, 28 2004 @ 06:54 PM

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Originally posted by 27jd
Maybe the sea turtles know something we dont, possible dirty bomb attack on FL!
That or maybe they hate America now too.

Its actually happening all over the world, not just the US.
In Sweden 1,500 homing pidgeons out of 2,000 got lost, something that has never been observed, and there are other problems like these in almost every nation. Whatever the problem is, it has got to be something about the environment that is changing, or something is really wrong with the food the oceans and seas supply.

27jd

posted on Jul, 28 2004 @ 07:25 PM

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Yeah, in all seriousness I agree, perhaps the shifting baselines. We have been depleting the sea for so long. Probably less turtles are surviving to be adults, theres less food for them as well as alot of animals feed on baby sea turtles. When I visit San Diego, I usually do some fishing off the pier (ocean beach). It wasnt too long ago you would catch something every 10 minutes (I always practice catch and release, unless its something worth keeping) but the past few years there has been hardly any fish at all. Its eerie and depressing.

[edit on 28-7-2004 by 27jd]