TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Officials are reporting a record number of green sea turtle nests have been found in Florida.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said on Friday that staff for the agency had documented approximately 39,000 green sea turtle nests.
The preliminary estimates are based on an index from 27 beaches that represent about 68 percent of green sea turtle nests statewide. A final survey covering 800 miles of Florida coastline will be available in early 2018.
State officials said that nearly 30 years ago only 464 green sea turtle nests were recorded on the 200 miles of beaches that are part of the survey. By 2011, there were 10,701 green sea turtle nests.
The commission noted that green sea turtles nest more abundantly every other year.
