A Conservation Area

 

Singer Island has been a home for sea turtles to nest for as long as the island existed. It is a famous spot for the Loggerhead sea turtle and that is why many local organizations include the name in their title, like the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, for example. The small island is a sanctuary to more than 5 percent of the entire world's population of the Loggerhead. But the species has been declining for the past 19 years and the turtles have been listed as engangered since 1978- almost 40 years ago. Around the world, their eggs are consumed, their migratory forages are intercepted by industrial fishing nets, plastic and floating debris entraps them or is consumed by them, and their nesting habitats are destroyed by humans.

 

However many conservation groups have worked to preserve Singer Island, keeping it safe, clean, and unsullied for the turtles. Local protectors of the beach include the Sea Turtle Conservation League of Singer Island, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, and the Surfrider Foundation. Because the island is globally recognized as such an important spot for the turtles, groups like Defenders of Wildlife also work to educate people online about the problems these animals face and how to help them. Research groups also come to Singer Island to study the turtles' behavior, count eggs, and collect data to improve the population. Just this summer, a group of students from Central Michigan University came to Singer Island to help mark off nesting sites, create paths for the turtles, and educate people on how they can help keep the area safe. Palm Beach County also just instated a ban on balloons at beachfront parks that will help reduce the number of turtle deaths from plastic consumption. Loggerheads in particular love to eat jellyfish, and can mistake the balloons for jellyfish, which happens a lot more often than you'd think (see here or here). 

 

Thankfully there are many organizations working hard to conserve the area for the natural beauty that it is. The turtles' nesting home on Singer Island is clean, monitored, and respected. Those living on the island are lucky to have a backyard beach with clear water, warm sand, and a perfect view of sea turtles and their hatchlings during nesting season.