TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — The City of Treasure Island is making moves to protect baby sea turtles this nesting season.
As a trial, the city has installed eight sea turtle-friendly lights along Gulf Boulevard to help reduce a serious problem for the species in our area.
What problem is that? Sea turtle hatchlings use moonlight to guide them back to the water, but often get disoriented by artificial lights and end up crawling into roads or neighborhoods.
These new lights are designed to limit that artificial glare and avoid the thousands of preventable sea turtle deaths that occur between May and October each year.
Treasure Island is also adopting new progressive lighting standards to ensure that interior and exterior lighting on properties in the area cannot be seen from Gulf beaches.
City officials worked with State Representative Linda Chaney, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and Duke Energy Florida to install the lights, according to a press release.
"For years Treasure Island has fought for this so I’m pleased to announce that they will be receiving turtle lights on Gulf Boulevard to protect turtle hatchlings," Chaney said.
If approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium the city will install the lights throughout Pinellas County along Gulf Boulevard to aid in the protection of our marine life.
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