Nesting season signals lights out along beach

It's loggerhead sea turtle nesting season, and people who live or vacation along the beach have an important role in this ancient process.

Distracting artificial lights disrupt the nesting and hatching cycle of the threatened sea creatures, which have only a 1-in-10,000 chance of making it to reproductive age.

That's why town and county ordinances require lights off at night along our beaches. Lights can prevent nesting turtles from laying eggs and confuse hatchlings in their journeys to the sea. The hatchlings use the moon and other reflections to guide them into the ocean.

In years past, baby turtles have ended up in beachside swimming pools confused by homes' bright lights. They fall easy prey to crabs and gulls when they end up in the dunes.

Sometimes they don't even get the chance to hatch. In 2005, poachers hit seven turtle nests, each with an estimated 125 eggs. The turtle eggs are a traditional food source in the Sea Islands and parts of Latin America. They also are considered an aphrodisiac by some people.

It's illegal to steal turtle eggs under state and federal law. In 1999, a Hilton Head Island man was convicted in federal court for stealing turtle eggs.

Finding nests and marking them is an important part of protecting the turtles. Workers mark nests to prevent them from being stepped on or disturbed. Frequently, they have to move nests farther inland to protect them from high tides and storm surges.

On Hilton Head, 200 nests were found last year, which was the second largest nesting season since 1985 -- the year the island's Sea Turtle Protection Project began. The Town of Hilton Head Island and the Coastal Discovery Museum operate that project by patrolling area beaches every morning to track nesting habits and numbers. By the end of June, about 80 nests had been found on Hilton Head.

Let's do all we can to make 2009 another successful nesting year. Start by turning off your lights.