Image of a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) hatchery in South Carolina. Nests are placed in an area where they are protected in varying degrees from natural or anthropogenic hazards. Efforts such as these are intended to increase the success rate of loggerhead reproduction and reverse population declines caused by human activities.
Graph depicting the 2011 nesting trends of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in South Carolina.
The associated PDF file contains a 2009 report from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources on the state of loggerhead nesting in coastal areas.
Photo of a hatchling loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) on a beach in South Carolina. Female loggerheads lay their eggs on land and juveniles, such as the one pictured here, migrate from the beach into the ocean. Unlike their adult counterparts that have red shells, juvenile sea turtles have dark-brown shells. This hatchling measured 5 cm (2 inches) long, which is average for the species.
Example of artificial lighting along a beach. Artificial lights inhibit the reproduction of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in two ways. First, adult females tend to avoid laying their eggs on beaches with artificial light. Second, hatchlings become disoriented and fail to migrate toward the ocean and instead wander along the beach and even further inlands. While wandering, disoriented...
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