SAVANNAH, Ga. --- Rare loggerhead sea turtles are having a record nesting season on the Georgia coast and have been laying eggs in promising numbers on southern Atlantic beaches from Florida to the Carolinas.
Still, biologists warn the population of mammoth turtles, which weigh up to 300 pounds, remains fragile. And the federal government is considering a proposal to classify loggerheads as endangered after 30 years of listing them as a threatened species.
Along the 100-mile Georgia coast, biologists and volunteers working with the state Department of Natural Resources have counted 1,544 loggerhead nests since the nesting season began May 1.
That's the most turtle nests recorded since Georgia began keeping count in 1989, breaking the previous record of 1,504 nests in 2003. And new nests discovered since Aug. 1, the final month of the season, haven't been tallied yet.
Mark Dodd, the biologist in charge of the Georgia sea turtle recovery program, said he suspects the state will top 1,600 nests by the end of the season. That's still short of the state goal of 2,000 nests per year for 25 years.
"It's good news and we're going to definitely pat ourselves on the back because of it," Mr. Dodd said. "But it's a long haul and we've got a long way to go."
Researchers say the increase could be the result of the turtle's natural reproductive cycle. Female loggerheads typically lay eggs once every two or three years -- causing nesting trends to fluctuate year to year.
Mr. Dodd said a sharp decline in shrimp boats trawling off the Georgia coast, because of high fuel costs and low market prices, this year might have contributed to Georgia seeing so many nests.
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