Following a presentation by the Coyote Working Group (CWG) at City Council last week, the SCCF sea turtle team is working with other biologists in the group and the City to plan an informative public workshop that will detail a wide array of options to mitigate coyote depredation of sea turtle nests.

Council voted unanimously at the Feb. 3 meeting to table the CWG’s proposed plan for targeted lethal removal of coyotes during the 2026 sea turtle nesting season and to gather more information on other possible solutions.

Over the past 10 years, SCCF scientists have considered and evaluated many non-lethal methods, including but not limited to some that the public is currently suggesting.

“SCCF looks forward to the opportunity to explore all viable options with our community and elected officials,” said CEO James Evans. “If community members have ideas they’d like us to consider, we welcome those.” 

Protecting Sea Turtles

Sea turtle monitoring on Sanibel began in the late 1950s with Charles LeBuff and Caretta Research, Inc., making it one of the longest-running monitoring programs in the country. The program was transferred to SCCF in 1992. The sea turtle program operates under a permit granted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Coyote depredation was not an issue until after coyotes arrived on the island in 2011.

“Our sea turtle team has been working diligently over the past 10 years to mitigate coyote depredation and keep depredation rates from exceeding what is outlined in the loggerhead recovery plan,” said Evans. “For more than 50 years, SCCF scientists have served as a trusted source for science-based solutions to protect our ecosystems. We are deeply invested in the accuracy of our data.”

A statement issued by the CWG prior to the City Council meeting outlined several methods approved by the FWC that the sea turtle team has used since the coyote depredation rate started to exceed the 10 percent maximum for mammalian depredation in 2014.

Next Steps Before Public Workshop

The next steps are to:

• Solicit Council members and the public to provide input on measures to reduce depredation rates by coyotes on sea turtle nests
• Compile public input
• With the CWG, put together a report that evaluates all of the potential options for mitigating the impacts of coyotes on sea turtle nests
• Discuss the report in a public workshop led by Council

“We’ll be working on that report with the Coyote Working Group over the next month or so, and the City will be scheduling a workshop with the community once that report is complete,” said Evans.

The SCCF sea turtle team will also be assessing suggested alternatives based on methods authorized by the FWC.

Sea turtle nest monitoring begins on April 15 and runs through October. Permitted staff and volunteers monitor Sanibel and Captiva beaches daily for nest activity.

If you have input to share, please email info@sccf.org.