Sea Turtle Conservation

All sea turtle populations worldwide are at risk due to over-harvesting, marine pollution, habitat change, and entanglement in fishing gear. However, through a 40-year history of protection and management, our local Loggerhead Sea Turtle population is growing by 3% per year.

Since 1987, LSSI staff have partnered with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to conserve our sea turtles. LSSI’s sea turtle technician patrols the beaches each morning from May to September, watching for signs of turtle nesting and hatching, then share all of our nesting monitoring data with GADNR through seaturtle.org.

American Oystercatcher Conservation

American Oystercatchers are a conservation priority species throughout their range. LSSI’s bird technician monitors nesting oystercatchers daily, collecting information about their nesting and fledging success. Through over a decade of monitoring, we have learned that nest and chick predation are the leading cause of breeding failure in our birds. Therefore, we use science-based management to improve the nesting success of our birds.

In 2020, the LSSI oystercatchers fledged 16 chicks, setting a record high for the island. Continued monitoring and management will ensure long-term viability of the Georgia oystercatcher population.

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