Satellite Beach Florida is located in Brevard County just south of Patrick Air Force suffered only minor beach erosion and should repair itself naturally over time but it is obvious that numerous sea turtle eggs were destroyed. The evidence is everywhere. Walking the beaches today almost a week after Irene passed I can find evidence of the destruction. Bits and pieces of sea turtle eggs littler the beaches and fill the surf.
As Irene moved north along Florida’s Atlantic coast many beaches experienced high tides as Irene was immediately off shore and this combined with higher waves caused enough scouring action to occur that many sea turtle nest were uncovered and destroyed.
Erik Martin, scientific director at Ecological Associates, told TCPalm that in Normandy Beach Florida, located in St Lucie County, before the storm there were 1507 documented nests and that 431 of these were destroyed. The destroyed nest belonged to loggerhead, green and leatherback sea turtles. On some beaches the destruction of sea turtle nest was substantial and on other beaches the damage will never be known.