Post 823: November 10th, 2021. Super News! This year, there were twice the number of leatherback sea turtle nests in Southern Florida than the previous high record! In Broward County alone (home of Fort Lauderdale), there were 79 nests documented - a huge increase from the 12 that were seen in 2012. It's unclear what specifically helped the leatherback's population, but conservationists are incredibly pleased (to say the least). . Leatherbacks are the most widely distributed sea turtles around the globe (in fact, they are the most widely distributed reptile as well!), but their populations are declining rapidly. The National Marine Fisheries Service estimates that 40% of their population has been lost in just 3 generations. Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are large factors (which will likely continue to drive the turtle's numbers down), but having a win this year is definitely a welcome one. . . Read more about the sea turtle nests: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/03/leatherback-turtle-nests-south-florida-record . Graphic shows a baby sea turtle in the sand. The factoid reads: "This year, there were twice the number of leatherback sea turtle nests in Southern Florida than the previous record." . . #seaturtles #seaturtleconservation #animalconservation #marineconservation #oceanconservation #animalfacts #animalart #pixelplanet #pixelplanettoday #pixelart #planetfacts