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Wildlife Post-Ian - FY 2021-22 SCCF Annual Report
Sea Turtles and Storm Adaptations
The SCCF sea turtle team surveyed the beaches for 17 remaining nests and was able to find only one — a green sea turtle nest. The others washed away from wave action and storm surge. It’s possible that the turtles who laid the lost nests successfully produced offspring earlier in the year, said SCCF Coastal Wildlife Director Kelly Sloan.
“Sea turtles are very resilient and have adapted to living in habitats that experience hurricanes regularly,” Sloan said. “That said, this was a massive storm and some mortality may have occurred.”
Shorebirds, Bald Eagles Remain on Islands
SCCF staff and volunteers are happy to report that all bald eagles we monitor on the islands are accounted for and remain in their territories.
Our shorebird team has observed all the usual shorebird and seabird species, including sanderlings, ruddy turnstones, willets, blackbellied plovers, laughing gulls, royal terns, and sandwich terns. Compared to the past five October shorebird surveys, 2022 saw a decrease in species and total counts. Various factors can affect the distribution of migratory birds at stopover sites, but our data suggest Hurricane Ian played a role.
Freshwater & Terrestrial Turtle Work Continues
SCCF staff and volunteers have documented all 11 species of non-marine turtles known to occur prehurricane. Staff educated construction and debris removal crews about turtles on Sanibel and Captiva, instructing them to gather any turtles that might be in harm’s way so we can re-release them in safer locations.
Community Helps SCCF Document Island Wildlife
Islanders have stood strong in their commitment to our beloved nature by enthusiastically responding to our request for wildlife sightings. We’ve heard of many species that survived, including bobcats, osprey, pelicans, box turtles, monarch butterflies, rat snakes, a great horned owl, alligators, gopher tortoises, pileated woodpeckers, dolphins, manatees, and bald eagles. This data will be vital as our scientists continue to study how our island species and ecosystems have been affected.
