JIM DAMASKE | Times
NP_323288_DAMA_turtlenest_1 (5/23/2010 TREASURE ISLAND) Mike Anderson takes measurements to help him find this sea turtle nest, the first in Pinellas County this year, in case his stakes and tape disapear. Anderson, who’s in charge of sea turtle nesting for the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, marked off the nest which was found Sunday morning on Sunset Beach Treasure Island. A early morning beachgoer spotted the turtle digging it’s nest and alerted the local police who notified Anderson. Anderson dug in the sand that had been displaced by the turtle till he found a ping pong ball sized egg so he could mark the precise location on gps. The nest was marked off to keep beachgoers away and it will be monitored for the next 50 to 60 days till the young hatch and make a break for the gulf. While nearly all of the eggs will hatch only one in a 1000 makes it to maturity to breed again says Anderson. The baby sea turtles swim out to where the sargasso seaweed is floating in the gulf. Last year there were nearly 150 sea turtle nests on the beaches of Pinellas County. [JIM DAMASKE, Times]