Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nests in Georgia Reach 37-Year High

Loggerhead sea turtle nests along Georgia's Atlantic coast have surpassed the previous record set in 2022, reaching more than 4,110 nests in the 2026 season. The Georgia Sea Turtle Cooperative, a network of volunteers, researchers, and staff coordinated by the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR), has conducted daily dawn patrols on barrier island beaches since 1989 to mark and protect nests.

The 2026 total exceeds the prior high of 4,071 nests recorded in 2022 and represents a dramatic increase from the estimated low of 358 nests in 2004. DNR officials describe the trend as a slow but steady rebound for a species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1978.

Loggerheads are long-lived reptiles that do not begin reproducing until they are 30 to 35 years old, which means population responses to conservation measures lag by decades. Adult females, weighing up to 300 pounds and measuring more than three feet long, come ashore from May through mid-August to lay clutches of roughly 100 eggs in sand dunes.

Mark Dodd, senior wildlife biologist with DNR's Wildlife Conservation Section and Georgia Sea Turtle Program Coordinator, attributes the recovery to sustained beach monitoring and the required use of turtle excluder devices on shrimp trawlers since 1990. Those devices reduce accidental capture in fishing nets, a major source of mortality.

Nest counts have grown at an average rate of about 4% per year since the early 1990s, though annual numbers fluctuate. Dodd said that if current protections remain in place, nesting could eventually reach levels not seen in Georgia since the 1950s, though projections indicate a plateau in the near term.

The Georgia Sea Turtle Cooperative's daily patrols continue to be essential for identifying and safeguarding nests from predators, erosion, and human disturbance. Each nest is marked, monitored, and evaluated for hatching success throughout the season.

Loggerheads spend nearly their entire lives at sea, returning to natal beaches only to nest. The species' slow maturation and long lifespan make long-term data collection critical for assessing recovery trends and adjusting management strategies.