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Jacksonville Beach installs sea turtle-friendly lights ahead of nesting season

The pandemic and supply chain issues delayed the project, but many of the parking lots along first street are filled with an amber hue at night now.

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — The night-life in Jacksonville Beach has an amber hue to it these days.

That's because the city is 'shelling' out new lights to help as many sea turtles as possible find their way back to sea.

"I saw a problem with the lights, and it was killing baby sea turtles, so I had to do something," said Florida Sea Turtle Watch Founder Casey Jones.

That inspiration led Jones to get more than 100,000 signatures to support changing Jacksonville Beach's light ordinance in 2020.

That ordinance now requires homeowners near the coast to change outdoor lights to amber colored bulbs during sea turtle nesting season (which starts May 1st), and to make sure they aren't pointed at the beach.

"Every time they go the wrong way, they're crying out but nobody was hearing them. I made sure people were hearing them."

That new law also applies to parking lots.

The pandemic and supply chain issues got in the way, but just in time for the 2023 sea turtle nesting season,, Jones says many of the bulbs are installed and glowing.

"It's kind of sad it took over three years, but I'm just glad it's getting done for this sea turtle season," said Jones. "One in a thousand make it to adulthood, so you got to give them that fighting chance."

Jones says he's pushing Nassau County to change its lighting ordinance next.

While the lights help, beachgoers can help too by filling in holes before they leave and cleaning up trash so there aren't any obstacles blocking the way from nest to ocean.

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