Tropical Storm Debby impacts sea turtle and bird nests, some of South Point to reopen
“Based on the most current monitoring results, our resource management team will adjust the protection buffer south of Ramp 72 and there will be approximately 0.50 miles open in that area starting Thursday, Aug. 14.”
By Peter Vankevich
Although Tropical Storm Debby turned out to be more of an inconvenience for people on the Outer Banks for high rains, minor flooding and a canceled ferry or two, it did have an impact on wildlife.
On Ocracoke Island, 29 sea turtle nests were over washed as result of this storm, including eight that were inundated for a period of time, according to Mike Barber, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s public affairs specialist.
Hatteras Island fared a bit better with 12 sea turtle nests that were over washed or inundated during the storm. In the Bodie Island District of the Seashore, no sea turtle nests were lost.
Turtle nests can survive some standing water over a limited period but if the duration is prolonged, erosion will wipe them out or water will seep into submerged nests and drown the eggs.
The success or loss of the turtle nests is now in a wait-and-see phase. “We won’t know if overwash or inundation had any effect until it’s time for the nest to hatch or we excavate the nest at day 80, if no hatch activity has been observed,” Barber said in an email.
The incubation period for sea turtle nests is approximately 60 days.
As of Aug. 8, during the tropical storm’s high impact, there were 97 nests on Ocracoke, and one more has been added since then. According to data provided by the Seashore on that date, 12 nests had hatched on Ocracoke and 10 more on Hatteras Island.
As of Aug. 14, there are 293 nests for the entire Seashore and more will come. Last year there were 380 nests.
Sea-turtle nests laid too close to the ocean or in a dangerous section of beach are often relocated to safer areas.
Additional risks to sea turtle nesting success are far from over as we enter prime-time hurricane season.
Hurricane Ernesto that has struck Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands is expected to move north towards Bermuda and well out to sea from the United States.
But major storms like this combined with higher-than-normal tides can bring strong swells causing flooding on the Outer Banks, and increase the risk of dangerous rip currents, especially this upcoming weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Ernesto could cause flooding in the vulnerable areas of the north end of Ocracoke and on Hatteras Island, including Rodanthe, Buxton, the Sandy Bay area between Frisco and Hatteras, and Hatteras village.
But it wasn’t just sea turtle nests endangered by Debby’s surge and swells.
“Two of the three remaining black Skimmer nests at South Point were totally lost,” Barber said. “One black Skimmer chick remains, and up to 20 adult skimmers have been observed loafing at the colony site. Three least tern nests and five least tern chicks were lost at South Point. One American oystercatcher chick is also believed to have been lost because of Tropical Storm Debby impacts.”
Some of closed beach will reopen
“Based on the most current monitoring results, our resource management team will adjust the protection buffer south of Ramp 72 and there will be approximately 0.50 miles open in that area starting Thursday, Aug. 14,” Barber said. “The remaining closure will be monitored closely for chick movements, and/or additional breeding activity from the black skimmer colony, and beach access will be adjusted accordingly.”
