INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — This could be the year of the turtle.

Despite a steady six-year decline in loggerhead turtles and beach erosion caused by last year's hurricanes, experts are seeing more loggerhead turtles than expected.

"There's a good chance we're going to see a rebound attributed to the recruitment of young females into the nesting population, and there are some indications that loggerheads aren't in a precipitous decline," said Llew Ehrhart, a researcher at the University of Central Florida.

And the number of green turtles, which tend to go up in even years and down in odd years, has grown "exponentially" since the '80s, Ehrhart said.

Ehrhart, who studies turtles in the south Brevard County portion of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge — a 20-mile stretch between Melbourne Beach and Wabasso Beach — said the refuge is seeing 100 nests per night since nesting season officially began May 1. That number is expected to climb to 250 a night by the end of June. Turtle season typically ends in September.

Experts have seen a decline in the number of loggerheads since a record high in 1998 when more than 17,000 nests were counted just in the refuge alone, Ehrhart said.

But now biologists are reporting seeing an abundance of young adult female turtles from off the coast of St. Augustine on up to North Carolina, which is a good sign, Ehrhart said.

As of May 24, 261 loggerheads and 16 leatherbacks were counted in Indian River County, minus the town of Indian River Shores, said Erik Martin of Jensen Beach-based Ecological Associates Inc., a consulting firm hired by the county to monitor turtle nesting.

Martin said areas monitoring nesting in the county include, Vero Beach's Disney Resort, the Carr Refuge and Indian River Shores. His firm monitors turtles in Vero Beach and South County beaches.

Although the numbers aren't in yet for Indian River Shores, Martin said nests from that area make up about 35 percent of turtle nesting in the county.

He said the count for loggerheads is a little low, so far, but pretty good for leatherbacks.

"It's still pretty early to say," Martin said about what kind of nesting season the county will have. "We usually know by the end of June."

Jonathan Gorham, county coastal resources manager, said dune destruction is a major concern for sea turtles this season.

"The thing that worries me most about the aftermath of the hurricanes is there is no dune vegetation, which blocks the lights from homes and the roads," Gorham said. "What lights that weren't a problem last year will probably be a problem this year."

In the next few days, the county will conduct lighting surveys earlier than usual, Gorham said, to find problems that might be a potential code enforcement issue.

"This would be the year for people to take a look at all of the lights they have," he said. "Any light you can see from directly standing on the beach will be a problem."

About 44 percent of loggerhead hatchlings were lost when the hurricanes hit last year, Ehrhart said. In terms of overall density and the number of nests, South Brevard County is the most important nesting beach in the Western Hemisphere, he said.

- alexi.howk@scripps.com

Tips on respecting turtle nesting

• Wildlife conservation agencies recommend people view sea turtle nesting led by organized groups permitted to give tours.

• Avoid using lights, especially white lights, which can cause turtles to become disoriented. If lights must be used, a red dim light is preferred.

• Don't let a turtle see you while she's laying eggs. Stay low and well behind her. Hide behind her shell, which is her blind spot. After she's finished laying eggs, people can look at her from the front.

Source: Llewellyn Ehrhart, sea turtle researcher and biology professor at the University of Central Florida

Sea turtle quick facts

There are seven species of sea turtles. The most popular found off the coast of Florida are the loggerheads, leatherbacks and green turtles.

LOGGERHEADS: Listed as threatened, the loggerhead is characterized by a large head with blunt jaws. The carapace and flippers are a reddish-brown color; the plastron is yellow. It is difficult to distinguish loggerheads from green turtles. The easiest way is to count the marginal scutes on their shell. Loggerheads have five and greens have four and their heads are much larger and heavier than a green. Loggerheads generally weigh about 400 pounds but can weigh as much as 1,000 pounds. They nest between May 1 and taper off about Aug. 10.

LEATHERBACKS: Listed as endangered. They feed on jellyfish and soft-bodied animals. The leatherback is the largest, deepest diving, and most migratory and wide ranging of all sea turtles. The adult leatherback can reach 4 to 8 feet in length and 500 to 2000 pounds in weight. They nest between March 1 and June 15.

GREEN TURTLES: Listed as endangered. They are the only plant-eating species of turtle. They eat sea grasses. The green sea turtle grows to a maximum size of about 4 feet and a weight of 440 pounds. It has a heart-shaped shell, small head and single-clawed flippers. They nest between June 1 and Sept. 21.

THREATS TO SEA TURTLES: Entanglement by fishing gear, habitat loss and hunting, coastal development, artificial light from houses and buildings attracts hatchlings away from the ocean, pollution such as plastic bags can be mistaken for food, such as a jellyfish. Once ingested, the plastic blocks their intestines, which can kill them.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Ocean Conservancy

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