The Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring team is in its seventh month of monitoring the beaches, checking for signs of sea turtle activity.
With just a couple of weeks to go until the end of the nesting season on AMI, The Islander connected with first-year AMITW executive director Kristen Mazzarella to talk about working on the waterfront.
The Islander: You and the team have logged a lot of beach hours since AMITW first hit the shore for the nesting season in April. Not a bad place to work. What’s your most awesome sight of the season?
KM: Every day I was on the beach, I saw awesome sights, be it a moonset or a sunrise, dolphins swimming by or seeing signs of a hatch going directly to the water.
I think my favorite was the morning we watched the satellite-tagged turtle “Suzi” make her way back to the ocean surrounded by so many onlookers that we were able to engage with and who learned from Suzi and were wishing her well.
The Islander: What’s it like, becoming so familiar with the shoreline of an island?
KM: Each island is different but as you mark sea turtle nests along the shoreline, you begin to notice landmarks and to recognize important areas.
I’ve become familiar with areas where we had lots of turtle nests and areas where hatchlings commonly disorient, for example.
Many of the locals and volunteers already knew these areas well and could tell me what to watch for this season.
Familiarity with the beach was helpful for when I received calls from the public so I could provide prompt and informed answers to their questions.
Knowing the beach well also allowed me to see the changes the beach went through over the season, especially the changes after a storm.
The Islander: You must see some folks, regular morning walkers or anglers, to give an AMI howdy?
KM: Yes, we often see the same folks walking on the beach and say “hi” every morning. Lots of them are picking up trash or filling in holes.
They often will help us when we have a disoriented nest and educate visitors to the island about being respectful towards sea turtles.
We really love seeing their smiling familiar faces every morning and appreciate all they do to help sea turtles.
The Islander: Sunset is a big deal on AMI but I’m partial to sunrise on the beach and the bay. Have you noticed how the sunrise changes — location and colors — through the summer?
KM: Yes, it’s one of the benefits of being on the beach at sunrise every morning. You see and learn the nuances of the natural environment that you may not notice otherwise, whether it’s the location or color of the sunrise, what is happening with the tide or watching a storm and knowing whether it’s going to come onshore or stay out at sea.
The work we do allows us the opportunity to become in tune with nature.
The Islander: This is your first year working on AMI with turtle watch. Any observations about the island beaches?
KM: I really love the AMI beaches, especially the beautiful blue-green waters on the calm mornings — they give me such peace.
The thing I notice most about AMI are the locals and how friendly, informed and supportive they are of AMITW.
This is a tight community and as a newcomer, it has been so wonderful to be welcomed so warmly by such a kind group of people.