Sea Turtle Grant

National Fish and Wildlife Federation Grant Summary

FWC has been awarded a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund the development of an updated database to record disorientation events attributed to beachfront lighting, along with online and FWC staff led training classes to improve documentation of disorientation events. This will provide FWC’s Marine Turtle Permit Holders with a convenient, automated way to submit sea turtle disorientation reports and allow the public to access statewide disorientation information.

Our goal is to maximize the effectiveness of FWC's existing disorientation reporting program to significantly reduce the lighting impacts to nests on the beach during nesting season. The improved procedures will allow for quick and decisive actions to be taken by local government, management authorities, property managers and owners to resolve problem lights before additional impacts to sea turtle nests occur on their beaches.