2022 a banner year for sea turtle nesting in the Southeast

A green sea turtle returns to the ocean after leaving her eggs in a nest at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne Beach, Florida on Aug. 8, 2022.

A loggerhead turtle hatchling crawls over the sand on a Florida beach at the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, in this photo taken under permit numbers 186 and 171, held by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group.

A loggerhead turtle hatchling crawls over the sand on a Florida beach at the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, in this photo taken under permit numbers 186 and 171 by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group.

A leatherback turtle hatchling crawls over the sand on a Florida beach at the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, in this photo taken under permit numbers 186 and 171, held by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group.

A leatherback turtle hatchling crawls over the sand on a Florida beach at the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, in this photo taken under permit numbers 186 and 171, held by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group.

A sea turtle hatchling crawls toward the Atlantic Ocean at sunrise at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. Photo taken under permits number 186 and 171, held by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group

A sea turtle hatchling crawls over a pile of seaweed as it heads from its nest to the Atlantic Ocean at the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Photo taken under permit numbers 186 and 171, held by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group.

A sea turtle hatchling crawls toward the Atlantic Ocean at sunrise at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. Photo taken under permits number 186 and 171, held by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group

A sea turtle hatchling crawls over seaweed on the beach as it heads toward the Atlantic Ocean, in this photo taken by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group under permit numbers 186 and 171.

Researchers at Arizona State University, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute of Mexico and NOAA Fisheries are exploring the effectiveness of lighting on gillnets to protect marine life from being entangled in the nets.

A sea turtle on its nest at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Florida in this photo taken under permit numbers 186 and 171, held by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group.

Researchers Sydney Morton and Kaili Gruwell, with the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group, examine this leatherback sea turtle after it nested at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Research and photos authorized under permit numbers 186 and 171.

A sea turtle hatchling crawls toward the Atlantic Ocean after leaving its nest at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne Beach, Florida. Photos taken under permit numbers 186 and 171, held by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group.

A loggerhead sea turtle hatchling crawls from its nest at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne Beach, Florida to the Atlantic Ocean. Researchers say turtle hatchlings that survive the trip into the ocean swim to the Sargasso Sea to spend their early years. Photo taken under permit numbers 186 and 171, held by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group.

A loggerhead sea turtle hatchling emerges from its nest at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge to scurry toward the Atlantic Ocean along the Florida coast. Researchers say turtle hatchlings that survive the trip into the ocean swim to the Sargasso Sea to spend their early years. Photo taken under permit numbers 186 and 171, held by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group.

A leatherback sea turtle hatchling nears the ocean as it emerges from its nest at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Photo taken under permit numbers 186 and 171, held by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group.

Loggerhead turtle hatchlings crawl toward the light early one morning at the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne Beach, Florida during the 2022 sea turtle nesting season. Photos taken under permit numbers 186 and 171, held by the University of Central Florida's Marine Research Group.

A clutch of loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings emerge from their nest at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. The summer of 2022 was a banner year for loggerhead sea turtle nesting in Florida and Georgia. Photos taken under permit numbers 186 and 171, held by the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group.

Robin Marvel, an intern with the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group, inventories a sea turtle nest during the 2022 turtle nesting season at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne Beach, Florida. Photo taken under permit numbers 186 and 171.

Briana Nardelli, an intern with the University of Central Florida's Marine Turtle Research Group, checks a green sea turtle for tags. The turtle is returning to the Atlantic Ocean after her laborious nesting process at the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne Beach, Florida. Photo taken under permit numbers 186 and 171.

A green sea turtle hatchling scurries to the sea after emerging from its nest at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne Beach, Florida. Photo taken under permit numbers 186 and 171, held by the UCF Marine Turtle Research Group.

A green sea turtle returns to the ocean after leaving her eggs in a nest at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne Beach, Florida on Aug. 8, 2022.

A green sea turtle returns to the ocean after leaving her eggs in a nest at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne Beach, Florida on Aug. 8, 2022.

An endangered green sea turtle throws sand as she digs a nest in August 2022 to hold her eggs at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne Beach, Florida on Aug. 8, 2022.

With a little human help, this endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtle hatchling emerged from its nest along Matagorda Bay and made its way to the ocean in June.

A pair of endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtle hatchlings emerge from their nest in June 2022 and scurry toward the waters of Matagorda Bay on the coast of Texas.

An endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtle hatchling crawls toward the water after emerging from its nest in June 2022 on Magnolia Beach inside Matagorda Bay on the coast of Texas.