Inwater Research Group

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Jensen Beach, FL
Inwater Research Group

Our mission is to foster marine and coastal conservation through integrated research and education.
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06/05/2026

Last week, our first leatherback nest hatched!

Leatherback sea turtle eggs typically incubate for 55–80 days, depending on when the nest was laid and environmental conditions. Each nest usually contains 80–100 eggs and is carefully excavated by biologists to evaluate hatch success.

During an excavation, we document eggshells, unhatched eggs, hatchlings, and other nest contents to better understand development and nesting success. In these photos, you can see a live leatherback hatchling, a stage 4 embryo that stopped developing while still attached to the yolk sac, and a yolkless egg — a common finding in leatherback nests.

Overall, this nest showed strong hatch success, with most hatchlings successfully emerging and making their way to the ocean to begin their journey.

06/01/2026

Turtle 4,000! 🐢

We recently encountered our 4,000th turtle during our nighttime tagging project! This project, launched in 2024, is part of a larger, ongoing effort to assess the population abundance and dynamics of sea turtles that utilize our coastal waters. Our nighttime tagging program in particular focuses on nesting females, including leatherbacks, loggerheads, and green turtles.

Since the program began, our team has measured and tagged 2,015 individual sea turtles, with the remaining encounters being recaptures (turtles that have been previously tagged in this program). The data we’ve collected from this project have been very insightful and continue to aid in our understanding of these species.

Round of applause for our nighttime techs who work all throughout the night (on a hot and buggy FL beach) and remain dedicated to this project's success. 👏 Stay tuned for more updates throughout the season!

05/28/2026

Join us this weekend at The Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast for Summer Palooza! ☀️🌴

The event is this Saturday, May 30th, from 10-1 at 1707 NE Indian River Drive, Jensen Beach, FL. From face painting to the petting zoo, it is sure to be a fun-filled day for the whole family!

For more details on this event and to reserve your tickets, please visit www.childrensmuseumtc.org/events-calendar-1/2026/5/30/summer-palooza-2026.

05/27/2026

Tickets are going fast! Make sure to snag your spot for our 2026 Turtle Walk program! 🐢

Join us for an unforgettable evening with the chance to witness one of nature’s most incredible moments. Participants will enjoy an informative presentation on sea turtle biology, followed by a guided beach walk to view the nesting process of a loggerhead turtle.

To reserve your tickets or for more information on this program, please visit our website: www.inwater.org/education/turtle-walks/.

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05/24/2026

Earlier this week, we were out in Jennings Cove netting for sea turtles. 🐢

In collaboration with FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Fisheries Ecology & Conservation Lab, we captured, measured, and tagged a loggerhead sea turtle. Before release, the turtle was outfitted with a CATS-Cam, the first deployed in this area.

A CATS-Cam is a high-resolution, multi-sensor recorder capable of resolving fine-scale movement and capturing video footage. The goal of this project is to record the foraging activity of loggerheads in the lagoon while using hydrophone technology.

Even more exciting, we saw a pair of mating loggerheads! We'd call this a successful research day. 🤩

05/21/2026

🚨 PSA: Sea Turtles Found in Sargassum - S. Hutchinson Island, FL 🚨

This week, the beaches along South Hutchinson Island have experienced an immense influx of sargassum algae. Prevailing wind and ocean conditions have driven substantial amounts of algae ashore, resulting in large accumulations along the shoreline. But algae isn't the only thing washing in...

Juvenile green sea turtles inhabiting our local waters have also been carried in with the tide. Our team has responded to several sea turtle strandings, involving both live and deceased animals. We are actively increasing our monitoring efforts to mitigate the impacts of this significant influx, but we need your help!

If you spot a live, dead, or sick/injured sea turtle, please call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-3922. It is important that you DO NOT touch, move, or release turtles unless otherwise asked to do so. A biologist will respond to each stranding and collect vital information on the turtle's disposition.

Thank you for helping protect our sea turtles! 🐢

05/20/2026

The first-ever Olive Ridley sea turtle nest in the state of Florida!! Big news for our friends during this nesting season! 🎉🐢💙

05/19/2026

The greenies are here!! 🐢🎉

This morning, we had our first green sea turtle nest of the 2026 season. Now all three of Florida's nesting species are here on South Hutchinson Island.

Notice how the green turtle leaves an incredible nesting display! Different than our loggerheads, greens have a simultaneous crawl pattern that looks like tire tracks. They also have a much larger nesting mound with a "crater" body pit.

In the last few years, green turtle nesting numbers have been on the rise with a peak in 2023. How many do you think we'll see this season? 🤔

05/17/2026

The second grant we received from Florida’s Sea Turtle License Plate Grant Program supports our Amigos de Las Tortugas program for the third consecutive year! 🎉

This final year of funding marks an important milestone in the program’s growth—from expanding access to providing resources to now strengthening long-term conservation impact within the communities we serve.

Through this support, we will continue delivering community-based workshops across Florida, provide families with practical tools to reduce single-use plastics, and expand opportunities for participants to build lasting conservation habits at home.

Since its creation, Amigos de Las Tortugas has reached over 3,000 participants, connecting Hispanic communities to sea turtle conservation through culturally relevant, Spanish-language education and hands-on experiences.

This project was funded in its entirety by a grant awarded from the Sea Turtle Grants Program. The Sea Turtle Grants Program is funded from proceeds from the sale of the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate. Learn more at www.helpingseaturtles.org.

Address

4160 NE Hyline Drive
Jensen Beach, FL
34957

Website

http://www.inwater.org/, https://linktr.ee/inwater

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