BRUNSWICK, Ga. -- An unknown number of loggerhead sea turtle nests along the Georgia coast apparently have been destroyed by the storm surge and high tide, said Mark Dodd, sea turtle program coordinator for the state Department of Natural Resources.
"We're really concerned. It's safe to say we're going to lose a considerable number of nests," Dodd said.
Wildlife biologists and sea turtle patrol volunteers were unable Thursday to get onto the beaches to check nests because of the high water but hope to do an assessment this weekend, Dodd said.
Preliminary turtle patrol reports indicate that Cumberland Island, the state's main sea turtle nesting grounds, may be among the hardest hit by the storm, he said.
Until now, it appeared to be a record-breaking year for the loggerheads. A total of 1,544 nests had been documented as of Aug. 1, with biologists predicting a total of 1,600 by the end of the season.
The previous state record was 1,504 nests in 2003.
Five species of sea turtle are found in waters off the Georgia coast: loggerhead, leatherback, green, hawksbill and Kemp's ridley. All are protected by state and federal law.
Loggerheads are the only species to routinely nest on the state's beaches.