Clearwater Marine Aquarium Has Exceeded the 10,000 Mark for the 2009 Sea Turtle Hatch

By Jenni Hatter

Clearwater, FL - As the 2009 sea turtle nesting season wraps up, Clearwater Marine Aquarium is pleased to announce it helped safely guide 10,171 live hatchlings to the Gulf waters. Altogether, 138 nests were located on Pinellas County beaches.

“Last year, only 108 nests were found, so we were up 30 nests over last year,” said Mike Anderson, manager of sea turtle nesting. “We are hoping this trend of increasing nest numbers will continue.”

CMA oversees sea turtle nesting on 26 miles of Pinellas County beaches, locating and protecting nests, and ensuring the hatchlings make their way into the ocean. Sea turtle nesting season runs each year from May through October. Over the last four years, CMA has released more than 30,000 hatchlings into the Gulf.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a Florida non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated to marine life rescue, rehabilitation and release, and environmental education. Visit www.SeeWinter.com  for more information.

To view Clearwater Marine Aquarium's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-93-Clearwater_Marine_Aquarium