It would appear infrastructure and sea turtles don't mix well.
On Saturday, CNN released a story detailing how lighting is impacting sea turtles coming on and off of Georgia's coast. Specifically, high-mast light fixtures illuminating the exit of the Buc-ee's in Brunswick. These reportedly cast light far beyond the highway, extending onto beaches even 12 miles away, including Little St. Simons and Sapelo.
How do street lights affect sea turtles?
Catherine Ridley is vice president of education and communication at One Hundred Miles, a nonprofit working to conserve Georgia’s coast. She told CNN that unshielded artificial lights shining brightly onto nesting beaches can override the natural cues of turtles finding their way to the ocean. Essentially, they become confused, drawing hatchlings inland where they die which has already happened in some cases. It's also bad for the adult turtles as nesting females avoid brightly lit areas, reducing their options for safe nesting grounds.
Would improved monitoring help? Sea turtle hatchings are generally seasonal, turtles do tend to lay their eggs in the same areas, and there are groups who monitor the nests. But even with all of that, volunteers and researchers can't guarantee they will be at a nest in time to guide the hatchlings back to the sea.
Little St. Simons Island Ecological Manager Scott Coleman in an email to CNN: "We never really know exactly when the nests are going to hatch, and in any given nesting season we are monitoring 75+ nests, and often more than 100 nests."
Georgia Department of Transportation reportedly owns the lights but they are managed by Glynn County. GDOT is reportedly considering an alternative lighting system, but in the meantime, advocates are hoping for at least some short term solutions like adding shields to the lights.
Despite their location, Buc-ee's reportedly does not play a role in the lights' operation and Glynn County spokesperson Brittany Dozier told CNN that the lights were up before Buc-ee's was even proposed for the spot. Nevertheless, CNN says they have reached out to the iconic convenience store chain for comment.
Where is the Buc-ee's in Brunswick?
Buc-ee's Brunswick location is 6900 GA-99 off of GA-405 and I-95. It's about 25 miles north of Jekyll Island and is Buc-ee's largest stop in Georgia.
How many sea turtles visit Georgia?
Thousands of loggerhead sea turtle nests are found in the Peach State every year, according to Georgia Wildlife. Last year there were 2,490.
Are sea turtles protected?
Six species are found in U.S. waters, all of which are listed and protected under the Endangered Species Act, according to NOAA Fisheries.
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for Gannett/USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: CNN reports Georgia's lighting at new Buc-ee's confusing baby sea turtles
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