The Carr Companion The newsletter of the Friends of the Carr Refuge Fall 2002

The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge authorized by an act of Congress in 1989, is a twenty and one half mile stretch of beach, on the Southeast coast of Florida. This refuge hosts the largest concentration of nesting loggerhead and green sea turtles in the United States. It is the second most important nesting site in the world for loggerhead turtles. The Refuge protects animal species by preserving the coastal habitat on which they depend; and is also a place for public recreation and education. The Refuge, named for the late Dr. Archie Carr, honors his lifetime commitment to conservation and research.

Sea Turtle Nesting in the Refuge

The number of sea turtle nests laid in the Refuge in 2002 were:

• Loggerhead – 14,209
• Green – 2,970
• Leatherback – 19

While the Green turtles continue to nest in increasing numbers, the loggerhead and leatherback numbers were a disappointment. The number of loggerhead nests were the lowest since 1993 and were almost 20% below the mean for the 1990’s. The following charts show the nesting numbers for loggerhead and green sea turtles in the northern portion of the Refuge from 1982 to 2002. This is the area surveyed by Dr. Ehrhart and his UCF students, and represents by far the major nesting area in the Refuge. The dramatic increase in Green turtle nesting is considered by many to be one of the great success stories in national wildlife. While the expected new peak in loggerhead nesting did not materialize this year, it shows that loggerhead turtles are not as easy to predict as previously thought. If you look at the chart covering 20 years of data, you will see that every fourth year tended to reach a new peak in the number of nests. While that did not happen this year, the number of nests recorded, are still considered to be within acceptable numbers.

Who to call for information:
Friends of the Carr Refuge 1-321-676-1701
Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge: 1-772-562-3909 ext. 258

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