The City of Jacksonville Beach and Beach Energy are refusing to protect endangered and threatened nesting mother sea turtles and baby sea turtle hatchlings by ignoring the effect of light pollution (artificial light) used along their beach shoreline.  Parking lots adjacent to beach accesses and right next to the sand dunes have 25-30 foot light poles with super bright light LED light bulbs, which is against Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Sea Turtle Protection Rules.  FWC rules state that only amber LED Sea Turtle Friendly lights are to be used that close to the beach.

Light Pollution (artificial light) is so bright on Jacksonville Beach that it is detering nesting mother sea turtles from coming ashore to lay their eggs, this is called a "False Crawl."  When a mother sea turtle tries multiple times to nest and the beach is too bright, she will get stressed and deposit her eggs in the ocean, killing the baby sea turtles instantly.  It is a shame that the baby sea turtles do not have a fighting chance of survival. 

If the mother sea turtle does by small chance nest, research has proven that illegal lights along beaches will cause hatchlings to become disoriented and travel away from the ocean, towards artificial lights and sadly they lose their chance of survival. 

Jacksonville Beach Sea Turtle Lighting Ordinance is not up to date with FWC guidelines and has been out of date for over a decade.  We are demanding that the city update their ordinance and make Beaches Energy change out the illegal lights in the parking lots and down First Street.

To prevent sea turtle deaths caused by light confusion we encourage Jacksonville Beach to update their Lighting Ordinance to FWC compliance just like in neighboring Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach.  Ordinances like these prevent thousands of sea turtle deaths each year. The ordinance is needed to protect the endangered and threatened sea turtles who use Jacksonville Beach to nest and hatch a vital new generation. 

Help me get the word out and give these mothers and little babies a fighting chance to nest and live - sign and share the petition today please.