- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -
VOL 19 No. 26
April 10, 2019
Fewer storms forecast, but it only takes one BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND TURTLE WATCH AND SHOREBIRD MONITORING | SUBMITTED
Blue Water Beach Club is letting guests know about sea turtle nesting season, asking them to bring beach chairs off the beach at night.
Turtle watch volunteers ready for season BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – As the first day of turtle nesting season approaches and shorebirds begin pairing up and making nests, volunteers with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring are making ready to protect them. The group’s volunteers need protecting too, Director Suzi Fox told them last week at CrossPointe Fellowship. Each volunteer walks the beach at least two miles at dawn once a week. Fox told her group that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is asking Turtle Watch to have each beach walker take two days instead of one beginning next season, and that anyone unable to walk that much without assistance
INSIDE NEWS 4 OPINION 6 CALENDAR 7 OUTDOORS 22 ENTERTAINMENT 24 RESTAURANTS 26-27 REAL ESTATE 28-33 SPORTS 34-35
FORT COLLINS – The Colorado State University hurricane research team has issued its first prediction for the 2019 tropical storm season and it is good news, for now The forecast, authored by Dr. Phillip Klotzbach, predicts a total of 13 named storms turning into five hurricanes and two major (Category 3 or more) hurricanes. Last season, the region experienced 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and two major hurricanes. One of those major storms, Michael, was one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the United States. It leveled buildings in Mexico Beach, Fla., and throughout the Florida Panhandle, with winds just shy of Category 5 strength.. On average, the Atlantic and Caribbean region gets 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes. According to Klotzbach’s report, “During the past several months, El Niño conditions have developed in the Pacific Ocean, meaning that sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropics are warmer than normal. In general, El Niño conditions tend to suppress Atlantic hurricane formation, as a result of increases in upper-level winds that tear apart developing Atlantic hurricanes. “Predicting changes in El Niño is extremely difficult during the spring season, so although we know there’s an El Niño now, we don’t know whether it will continue through the rest of the year,” the report says. “Very small changes in wind conditions can cause big changes in the ocean circulation at this time of year. Consequently, the models that forecast El Niño tend to have less skill, which is the measure of the accuracy of the prediction versus what really happens. Nevertheless, these models do have modest ability to predict conditions for the next several months.” The CSU team will release updates to their predictions on June 4, July 2 and Aug. 6.
AMY WATERBURY | SUBMITTED
Suzi Fox, right, director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, briefs volunteers last week about their tasks during the six-month turtle season that begins on May 1. should think about making way for new volunteers to participate. Other volunteer positions include staffing the Turtle Watch booth at festivals, giving Turtle Talks, fundraising and staffing school events. Turtle season begins on May 1 and lasts through Halloween, but
THE CASE for
cooking fish whole: increased flavor. In Food & Wine. 25
Anna Maria Island, Florida
turtles can start showing up any time now, Fox said. The organization’s volunteers already are making sweeps up and down Island beaches to check for nesting of turtles and shorebirds, which begin nesting earlier than turtles.
FILE PHOTO
SEE TURTLES, PAGE 7
Hurricane Michael ravaged Mexico Beach, Fla., last year in the Panhandle.
COST increases expected for new Bradenton Beach dock. 3 EXPLORE Homossasa, one of
Florida’s most pristine areas. 22
The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper www.amisun.com