Conservation Program

​​The Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program (BCSTCP) conducts daily sea turtle nesting surveys from March 1 – October 31 annually. The entire coastline of Broward County from the northern border with Palm Beach County to the southern border with Miami-Dade County, excluding the beach at Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, is surveyed as part of this program.

A Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program survey vehicle.

Daily sea turtle surveys also provide for monitoring required for permitted beach cleaning, coastal protection projects, and special events on the beach. The BCSTCP is one of the most comprehensive sea turtle conservation programs in the state of Florida.

During the morning surveys, accurate counts of the total number of nests laid and the number of false crawls (when a turtle emerges but does not deposit eggs) are determined. Each crawl is identified to species. All sea turtle nests in Broward County are marked with wooden stakes, flagging tape, and a "Sea Turtle Nest" sign.

A marked sea turtle nest on the beach.

Each nest is monitored carefully by BCSTCP staff each day until evidence of hatching is observed (typically about two months after the nest is deposited). The nest contents are then excavated to obtain hatching success data. Live hatchlings from inventoried nests are released at appropriate times and locations to ensure maximum survival of released turtles.