SANIBEL, Fla. — Coyotes on Sanibel Island could be threatening the sea turtle population, after conservation experts report nearly 30% of all nests so far this season have been destroyed by predators.
Watch as Sanibel Community Correspondent, Anvar Ruziev, speaks with experts about the affect of coyotes on sea turtle nesting:
The Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) reports this is one of the highest destruction rates in recent years, with coyotes being the primary culprit.
"In 2023, our rate was about 43%. So 43% of our nests experienced some level of depredation by coyotes," said Jack Brzoza, SCCF biologist.
Just under 30% of nests have already been hit this year, and the nesting season isn't over yet.
With approximately 800 to 1,000 nests documented annually on Sanibel's beaches, protecting them all has proven challenging.
"We're documenting somewhere around 800 to 1,000 nests per year. It's not something that's really possible to cage that many nests," Brzoza said.
Conservation efforts have included protective cages and even hot pepper powder, but Sanibel's top predator has adapted quickly.
"Unfortunately, we've seen an increased rate in the coyote's ability to sort of breach those cages," Brzoza said.
Holly Milbrandt, Sanibel Natural Resources Director, explained that the recommended threshold for sea turtle nest loss is just 10%—a target Sanibel successfully met before Hurricane Ian.
"Our hope is that this is a temporary situation and as our vegetation comes back and as some of the smaller mammals that they prey on are doing better, you know, they start to come back, then, maybe the pressure on sea turtles will, will decrease as well," Milbrandt said.
This month, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will use drones to survey coyote activity on the island. You can assist conservation efforts by reporting coyote sightings to the city.
The Coyote Work Group is scheduled to meet on July 16, when new protection measures may be introduced to help save Sanibel's sea turtle population.
Statement from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:
"FWC staff are monitoring for predation impacts from coyotes to sea turtle nests and beach-nesting shorebirds on Sanibel Island. At this time, further action has not yet been determined but staff will continue to work with the city on monitoring and efforts to promote conservation of sea turtles and imperiled beach-nesting birds, including managing predation.
Members of the public can help reduce predation of shorebird and sea turtle eggs, chicks, and hatchlings by removing trash and other food attractants that may attract coyotes, crows, raccoons, and other predators to linger on beaches. People also can help by not feeding wildlife. Feeding wildlife can also lead to an overpopulation of predators at these sites. Predation on sea turtle eggs, shorebirds and seabirds is a naturally occurring event. However, when predators find unnatural sources of food such as trash or are fed by humans they may linger in areas where they would not normally.
Coyote sightings on Sanibel are common throughout the year and are in Florida due to natural range expansion and can be found throughout the state; they have been documented in all 67 Florida counties. It is not unusual for coyotes to swim across channels or small waterbodies to get from one location to another. Coyotes are strong swimmers and are established throughout Florida, including in our barrier island communities.
Because coyotes are found throughout the state, just seeing one is not a cause for concern. There is no need for members of the public to report coyote sightings. However, we would like to know about any wildlife that are behaving aggressively and can be reached at your regional FWC office: https://myfwc.com/contact/fwc-office/regional-offices/ [myfwc.com]. Additional tips and information about coyotes can be found here: MyFWC.com/Coyote.
Additional ways people can help nesting sea turtles and beach-nesting birds can be found here: https://myfwc.com/media/5875/be-a-beach-hero-brochure.pdf [myfwc.com]."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
