Georgia: Cumberland Island

The federal recovery plan set a goal of an average of 2000 loggerhead nests annually for 25 years in the state of Georgia.  In 2007 there were only 688 nests recorded, the third lowest number since monitoring began in 1989.  Not only is this low number of nests concerning, but the annual decline in nesting of 1.5% for 35 years poses an even greater concern.  Only 177 nests were recorded on Cumberland Island's 17 miles in 2007, the highest number of any of the nesting beaches in Georgia.  This barrier island is located in southeastern Georgia, near Jacksonville, FL, and is protected as a National Seashore; yet the protections are not enough for the loggerhead sea turtle. Despite the mandatory requirement for turtle excluder devices, Cumberland Island continues to have one of the highest rates of turtle strandings, turtles found dead or washed up on beaches, in the world, and the average number of strandings continues to rise (Cumberland Island Museum).