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Sea Turtle Conservancy covers costs of turtle-friendly lighting

The nonprofit wants to replace lights that can disorient sea turtles at beachfront homes, condos and businesses.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Any light that can be seen from the beach can threaten the safety of sea turtles and other wildlife, said Rachel Tighe, lighting project manager at the Sea Turtle Conservancy.

The conservancy is carrying out a project to replace lights across Southwest Florida’s coasts, covering 100% of costs, but the STC’s attention is focused on one area in particular.

Sarasota and Manatee counties have taken less advantage of the services than other counties in the project’s current range, which extends from Pinellas County in the north to Collier County in the south, Tighe said.

Sarasota County has the highest rate of turtles becoming disoriented — or led away from the ocean by onshore lighting — of all counties in that range, said Tighe.

“We’ve been really trying to work on getting more properties in Manatee and Sarasota counties interested,” Tighe said.

Now, the organization’s focus is moving toward smaller properties that can utilize grants of $25,000 or less. In the past, Tighe said, large condominiums had been the primary users of the project.

The conservancy is now emphasizing private homes, small condominiums, and small businesses, as well as some hotels and resorts, until June 2024, with the grant overall set to expire in February 2025.

The project’s research shows a decrease in disorientation rates detectable in areas where fewer lights are present.

EASIER ON THE EYES

The origins of the project go back to the Deepwater Horizon Oil spill in 2010, after which the conservancy received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Since then, it has retrofitted more than 300 beachfront properties in Florida. The project began in the panhandle, moving to Southwest Florida by 2019.

A sea turtle hatchling will often move toward a white, unshielded light on the beach, mistaking it for the ocean, according to an STC media release, which noted these lights can confuse adult turtles as well, resulting in them becoming dehydrated on the beach.

The conservancy’s goal is to replace lights with amber, orange or red lights that use long wavelengths of 560 nanometers or more, since sea turtles can’t see them as easily. Typically, amber lights are chosen. “It’s about really coming up with that little happy marriage of, do you need to add more fixtures that produce less light? Fewer fixtures that produce more light? Also making sure you’re keeping that mounting height low. Do they really need light in these areas?” Tighe said.

Justin Pachota, owner of Sharky’s on the Pier in Venice, said the conservancy staff brought knowledge he could never have gathered on his own because many products that include a turtle-friendly label, in reality, do not meet local requirements, he said.

“It saved me years of research,” he said.

While not many electricians were willing to take on the job, Sunshine Electrical Services agreed to do so. While the lights are yellow, he said, his goal of 100% compliance with local ordinances has been met.

The advantages of the lighting also extend to the property owners as well, Tighe said.

Owners have seen decreases in their utility bills.

LIGHTING PLANS

The Sea Turtle Conservancy will cover 100% of the cost of replacement, Tighe said, which can likely begin in the Sarasota area by August or September.

The overall process can take from a few weeks to six months. Owners can submit requests by phone or email.

If there are not enough retrofits requested in an area to justify a trip by the Gainesville-based staff — two to four are usually needed — the conservancy will place the requester on a waiting list.

Once staff plan a trip, they hold a virtual meeting with the requester, offering an informational presentation and asking about color preferences for fixtures, specifics on installation and voltage and any other concerns.

Within one to two weeks, they will conduct a day evaluation, visiting the property to examine existing lights and fixtures and taking meter readings of the light intensity.

Staff will then take a week to a month to assemble a plan that meets building and safety codes, which will include an aerial view of the location displaying the different fixture locations, what needs to be replaced, what the materials look like, and their specific model numbers.

The owner is typically offered about two weeks to review the plan, and once approval is given, the STC will seek out distributors in the area, sending a contract to the property owner after one to two weeks.

After the contract is executed, STC will provide 70% of the funding up front, providing the remainder after the project is complete and an evaluation is performed. For a singlefamily home, the cost can range from $1,500 to $7,000, depending on the size of the home and fixtures.

Pachota said the results of the retrofitting were a benefit for his restaurant, as well as the environment.

“If there were hatchlings on my deck, I can’t imagine anything worse from an environmental and public relations standpoint,” he said. “It feels good knowing we are doing our part.”

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2023-06-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-06-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

http://yourobserver.pressreader.com/article/281870122836261

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