Sea turtle nests increased along a Florida beach but hurricanes washed many away

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Good news for sea turtles along one Florida Gulf Coast beach — there were more nests counted this year. The bad news: Many of them were washed away by hurricanes. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium said Friday that 271 nests were documented this year along a 21-mile stretch of beach patrolled by its teams, up from 227 last year. But the aquarium said “a large percentage” of active nests were washed out by Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton. Turtle nesting season typically runs from mid-April to the end of October along beaches south of Clearwater. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through November.