On Tuesday, March 9, an adult male leatherback sea turtle was found dead and floating in the ocean about two miles east of Lake Worth Inlet. A local dive boat towed the body to shore for a necropsy. The body was taken to the University of Florida where the preliminary cause of death was determined to be drowning. Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and University of Florida stated that the turtle had no injuries indicating any interaction with a nearby dredge operation under contract to Palm Beach County. Final necropsy findings are pending and will be released within a few weeks.
The dredge operation involves excavating sand from off Singer Island and pumping it onto Juno Beach for shoreline protection. The contractor is complying with permit conditions to protect turtles and other marine life. The Juno Beach project is expected to be completed by mid-April.
Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management has been a leader in the state in sea turtle conservation efforts through its efforts to control coastal lighting, monitoring nesting activities and conduct research in developmental habitats.
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