Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (STOP) nighttime survey volunteers monitor sea turtle nests in Broward County. STOP counts the number of hatchlings that emerge from each nest in real-time on the beach as it happens. This requires many months of long nights on the beach.
Hatchlings that go east to the ocean are left alone. Hatchlings that disorient to lights are documented and recovered in buckets. Rescued hatchlings are released into the sea or taken to Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton. We do this as volunteers.
In 2012, STOP volunteers documented over 20,000 hatchlings that disoriented to lights in Broward County. Sadly, we only had enough volunteers to monitor 40% of the total nests. Imagine how many were missed... STOP has rescued and documented over 50,000 hatchlings in the last 4 years.
STOP is based in Ft. Lauderdale but performs sea turtle hatchling rescue in all of Broward County including Deerfield Beach, Hillsboro Beach, Pompano, Lauderdale by the Sea, Fort Lauderdale, Dania and Hollywood.
In 2012, STOP volunteers rescued over 20,000 Broward County hatchlings. Since 2007, STOP has rescued more than 45,000 sea turtle hatchlings from illegal lighting in Broward County.
This map contains a subtotal of all 2012 hatch reports submitted by STOP volunteers and is color coded by the total number of hatchlings that disoriented towards lights. Click each info bubble for a detailed report of each nest.
KEY: Number of hatchlings that went to lights instead of the sea: •Under 1• 1-10 10-50 OVER 50+
5. Any person, firm, or corporation that illegally takes, disturbs, mutilates, destroys, causes to be destroyed, transfers, sells, offers to sell, molests, or harasses any marine turtle species, or the eggs or nest of any marine turtle species as described in this subsection, commits a third degree felony, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.Read in full.
"It is the policy of the City of Fort Lauderdale that no artificial light shall illuminate any area of the incorporated beaches of Fort Lauderdale, Florida."
