MOTE’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Project has been walking Suncoast beaches for 45 years, and the anniversary comes with a milestone worth celebrating: more than 5,700 nests recorded in 2025, a record by a wide margin. This year, most nests were found in Venice, continuing the city’s run as one of the region’s most active turtle zones.
The numbers are built on early mornings. More than 300 staff, interns and volunteers patrol 35 miles of shoreline, some starting as early as 5 a.m., marking nests and logging every false crawl and disorientation. Their work tracks species ranging from critically endangered to threatened to least concerned, and MOTE’s Kathryn Gentile says the rise in nests has been wonderful to see, with the team looking forward to that number climbing in the decades ahead.
There’s a role for the rest of us too. During nesting season, May 1 through October 31, MOTE asks residents to keep lights dim near the beach so hatchlings can follow the natural glow of the horizon to the water instead of a porch light. Have you spotted a nest or hatchling on a local beach this year? Share your story in the comments.
