IRG’s marine turtle conservation efforts include monitoring populations in numerous locations throughout the state of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Areas monitored include Key West, Lake Worth, Indian River Lagoon, Big Bend, and the Natural Resource Damage Assessment in the Gulf of Mexico.

The beaches along Hutchinson Island are among the most important in the western hemisphere for sea turtle nesting. Each spring and summer IRG conducts daily surveys along 16 km of these beaches to count sea turtle nests and record how many hatchlings these nests produced.

IRG rescues hundreds of sea turtles every year. Some are hatchlings which are found in nests predated by racoons or failed to fully emerge during hatchout. Other rescues are conducted at sea or a result of calls into Florida’s stranding network which bring IRG scientists to the site of a sick or injured sea turtle.

With the tremendous need for expertise in locating and capturing marine wildlife, IRG was called on to play an integral role in rescuing oiled sea turtles. Through these efforts, over 500 sea turtles affected by the spill were brought ashore for cleaning and rehabilitation.

Coastal wildlife monitoring is a major focus of Inwater Research Group’s efforts including fish tagging, avian surveys, gopher tortoise research, and a webcam that tracks the development of fledgling screech owls!