When my kids were growing up in Melbourne Beach in the 1990s, public schools arranged numerous field trips to introduce them to maritime ecosystems. In nesting season, we would walk to the beach and quietly wait in the dark for a sea turtle to come to shore. Although we never saw a turtle nest, often the early following morning, we'd find tracks resembling marks made by wide bike tires. One time we saw hatchlings emerge from their nests.
But now, one of my objectives is to learn about wildlife in the area I now call home.
Two Men with a Vision
The Barrier Island Sanctuary, 20 miles south of Melbourne Beach, provides educational outreach for the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest nesting sites in the Western Hemisphere. An estimated 20-thousand turtles come here annually to nest--loggerheads, green sea turtles and leatherbacks (Archie Carr Refuge).
Archie Carr Jr., Ph.D., a University of Florida professor and founder of the nonprofit Sea Turtle Conservancy (1959), focused his research on migration and life cycles of sea turtles, which have been on earth for about 100-million years (Sea Turtles, NOAA).
University of Central Florida Professor L.M. “Doc” Ehrhart's research demonstrated the importance of this nesting area for sea turtles. He tracked turtle migrations and found that females return to their birthplace (natal homing) to nest. He and his students also conducted work on migrations and disorientation from artificial lights.
Beach overlook from the Barrier Island Sanctuary
Beach Access through saw palmettos and sea grapes
Work by Ehrhart and his student led to the establishment of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in 1991 (“Doc” Ehrhart).
The educational visitor center (2008) is a tribute to both Ehrhart’s and Carr’s research. It provides activities and fun facts for all ages.
A loggerhead’s
weight ranges from 250-350 pounds with a shell from 2.5 to 3.5 feet. In one
season (May – October), females average four nests (spaced across two-week
intervals) with 115 eggs per nest.
The nests face numerous risks from predators (birds, raccoons, fox, humans), while the eggs incubate. Two months later, hatchings make a frantic journey across the sand to the water, risking predators, dehydration and disorientation from artificial lighting. An estimated 80 percent of hatchlings survive, but only 1 in 1,000 or 1 in 10,000 reach adulthood (Sea Turtles, NOAA).
As a journalist for the Orlando Weekly wrote in 1999, "My fear for the hatchings will only last as long as summer nesting season. Politicians are to be dreaded all year long" (Brunais).
Hope
The 20-mile drive south of Melbourne Beach took me past some public beaches as well as miles of rampant development. A wall of concrete in some places that hid the beauty of the landscape of saw palmettos and sea grapes that lies somewhat inaccessible to the east.
But I have hope.
Carr and Ehrhart along with numerous students and volunteers have brought attention to plight of sea turtles. Litter, fishing nets, collisions with boats, artificial lighting and coastal development threaten their habitats and lives. Hope comes with education--outreach activities for children and adults, guided turtle nesting walks as well as an informed community.
We can get involved in numerous ways. Participate in beach cleanups. Educate family and friends. Donate.
But perhaps the best way is to visit centers like this one, sign up for turtle walks in 2026 and spread the word.
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Works Cited
“Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge Fact Sheet.” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. https://www.fws.gov/carp/media/archie-carr-fact-sheet. Accessed 31 October 2025.
Brunais, Andrea. “A Shell of their Former Selves.” Orlando Weekly. 26 August 1999. https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/a-shell-of-their-former-selves-2263168/. Accessed 30 October 2025.
“’Doc’ Ehrhart,’ UCF Naturalist and Sea Turtle Legend, Leaves Legacy of a Refuge.” Associated Press. Orlando Sentinel. 19 March 2022. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2022/03/19/doc-ehrhart-ucf-naturalist-and-sea-turtle-legend-leaves-legacy-of-a-refuge/. Accessed 29 October 2025.
“Sea Turtles—What Do You Know About the World’s Most Endangered Species?” NOAA. 16 January 2015.https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/june15/sea-turtles.html. Accessed 1 November 2025.
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