Coyotes Invading Sanibel Sea Turtle Nests

>> WITH THE SCHOOL YEAR BACK IN SESSION, YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL EDUCATION STORIES AT WGCU DOT ORG THE BEACHES AND WATERWAYS ARE BIG BUSINESS FOR SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. A REPORT FROM FGCU USED BUT CURRENT COLLEGE OF BUSINESS FINDS THAT COASTAL COUNTIES GENERATED 9.2 MILLION DOLLARS IN TOURIST TAX REVENUE, SO-CALLED BED TAXES THIS PAST APRIL ALONE WITH 3 NOURISH BEACH IS PLAYING A MAJOR FACTOR. HOWEVER, THREATS. TO BOTH FLORA AND FAUNA ARE NOW AFFECTING THOSE SAME SHORES ON SANIBEL. THE COYOTE POPULATION HAS EXPLODED AND IT'S DIRECTLY IMPACTING SEA TURTLE NESTING. ACCORDING TO THE SANIBEL CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION. COYOTES HAVE DESTROYED NEARLY 200 NESTS ON THE ISLANDS. WGCUS TO THE BURN LEARNED OF MEASURES BEING MADE TO KEEP THESE PREDATORS IN SHOCK. >> WITH US NOW IS TOM BAYLISS SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTER TOM, IF WE WERE TO TAKE A SNAPSHOT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STORIES IN OUR AREA, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? >> LET'S START OFF WITH THE SANIBEL CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION'S EFFORTS TO STOP COYOTES FROM RAIDING THE SEA TURTLE NESTS ON SANIBEL ISLAND. WHAT THE ANIMALS ARE AFTER THE EGGS. THEY'RE READY MADE SOURCES OF ENERGY JUST FILLED WITH CONCENTRATED. THAT'S PATTY ESSENCE AND PROTEIN. ACCORDING TO STATE DATA FROM LAST YEAR TO BEACHES AT EACH END OF SANIBEL AND ON CAPTIVA ISLAND ARE WITHIN THE TOP. DOESN'T OF ALL BEACHES MONITORED FOR NASTY PREDATION AND THAT'S A PLATE WAY TO SAY THE COYOTES ARE TAKING THESE HATCHLINGS STILL DEVELOPING IN THEIR SHOWS. SO BIOLOGISTS AT THE FOUNDATION ARE WORKING TO FRUSTRATE THE COYOTE IS INTO LOSING INTEREST IN THE NEST USING DECOYS ONE IS MATCHING THE LOOK OF THE REAL ONES WITH 4 WOODEN STAKES AND THE BRIGHTLY COLORED TAPE STRUNG BETWEEN THE 4 BUT NO AG REWARD UNDERNEATH. TURNS OUT IT'S THE CODY'S THAT ARE FRUSTRATING. THE SCIENTISTS I TALKED WITH LILY HEPWORTH, A MEMBER OF THE FOUNDATION'S SEA TURTLE TEAM WHO TOLD ME THE ANIMALS LEARN QUICKLY TO USE THEIR KEEN SENSE OF SMELL TO LOCATE EGGS, BURIED IN THE SAND AND ARE NOW LARGELY IGNORING THE DECOYS ON BOWMAN'S BEACH. >> SO WE PICKED THIS SECTION BECAUSE LAST YEAR IT HAD THE HIGHEST DEPREDATION RATE OF ALL OF THE PLACES BETWEEN SANIBEL AND CAPTIVA. OUR GOAL WITH THIS WAS TO OVER SATURATE THE BEACH WITH MASKS AND HOPEFULLY. THEY WOULD BE DIGGING INTO THE DECOYS JUST ABOUT AS MUCH AS THE REAL MASKS AND THEIR RETURN OF INVESTMENT WOULD BE LAST AND HOPEFULLY THEY WOULD. SO NOT DIG INTO THE REALNESS THAT ALL ANY EARLY HOW THEY'RE WORKING. THERE WAS DEFINITELY MORE INTERACTIONS WITH THE SEQUEL IS IN THE BEGINNING. WHEN WE FIRST STARTED AND IT'S KIND OF STARTED TO SLOW DOWN LONG. AND THEY'VE JUST BEEN GETTING THE THE REAL LESSON, NOT MESSING SO MUCH WITH THE DECOYS. >> SO, TOM, WHAT'S NEXT? CERTAINLY THE FOUNDATION ISN'T JUST GOING TO REST AFTER ALMOST HALF OF THEIR NESTS ARE BEING RAIDED. WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE TO PROTECT HATCHLINGS AS THEY TRY TO SURVIVE? >> WELL, SCCF IS IS NOT DONE. >> THEY WILL TRY NEW IDEAS DURING NEXT YEAR'S NESTING SEASON. >> AND THEY'RE GETTING SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL HELP FROM THE SANIBEL CITY COUNCIL. NOW, IN WHAT WAY IS THAT FINANCIAL HELP COMING? THE COUNCIL RECENTLY VOTED TO GIVE THE FOUNDATION $75,000 TOWARDS THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS. THE FOUNDATION SPENDS ON DEVELOPING AND TESTING WAYS TO KEEP COYOTE EASE AND OTHER ANIMALS FROM THE EGGS. WHETHER SEA TURTLE OR SHORE BIRD AND THE COUNCIL WILL HELP TO PAY FOR A COYOTE POPULATION STUDY THAT WILL COST SOMEWHERE AROUND $150,000. SO THAT JUST SHOWS SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING PUT IN TO PROTECT OUR LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS. AND THAT MIGHT HAVE TO HAPPEN. NOW, AS I UNDERSTAND, WE HAVE A START AS SOMETHING APPROACHING. >> AND THIS IS THOSE ALGAE BLOOMS, ACCURATE. THOSE SMELLY BEACH SITUATIONS. AND COULD THEY BE POTENTIALLY COMING TO OUR SHORES? ONE OF THE SEVERAL DEVELOPMENTS THERE. DESPITE. >> HERE'S THAT THIS SUMMER'S SARGASSUM INUNDATION WOULD BE WORSE THAN LAST YEAR'S RECORD-SETTING BEACH SPOILING SEASON UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA EXPERTS IN THE THICK FLOATING SEAWEED NOW BELIEVE THIS YEAR'S PEAK HAS PASSED. BRIAN BARNES LEAD SCIENTISTS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA'S SARGASSUM WATCH SYSTEM SAID 2026 IS NOW EXPECTED TO LAND SECOND ALL-TIME FOR THE TONNAGE OF SARGASSUM WASHING ONTO SOUTHEAST FLORIDA AND THE CARIBBEAN BEACHES DAILY. IN RECENT SUMMERS, MORE THAN 70,000 TONS, 70,000 TONS OF SARGASSUM PER DAY REACH COASTLINES THROUGHOUT THE TROPICAL REGIONS OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC WITH THE CARIBBEAN AMONG THE HARDEST HIT AREAS. BESIDES WALKING BACK THIS YEAR, SARGASSUM TOTALS, BARNS AND OTHER RESEARCHERS INTO THEM MASSIVE, MASSIVE FLOATING SEAWEED ARE REPORTING A MAJOR NEW DISCOVERY. SOME OF THE RECORD BLUE LAST SUMMER'S SURVIVED IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA AND GO LONG ENOUGH TO HELP REDUCE THE SARCASM THERE THIS YEAR. THE REMAINING MATS ACTED LIKE SEED STOCK GROWING AND BREAKING INTO NEW LIVING PIECES. THAT MEANS THE WAIT FOR A NEW CROP TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC FROM THE SARGASSO SEA. IF THE PATTERN CONTINUES, THE SARCASM SEASON COULD BEGIN EARLIER. WARNING TIMES COULD SHRINK AND ONE EXCEPTIONALLY BAD YEAR COULD PERPETUATE ANOTHER HEAVY SARCASM SEASON. THE NEXT SUMMER. AND THAT'S BAD NEWS FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND SOUTHEAST FLORIDA RESORT ALREADY DEALING WITH THE DAILY ONSLAUGHT OF THE STINKY THICK SEAWEED. THAT MUST BE RAKED UP BY AN EARLY EVERY DAY