• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Conservation
    • Sea Turtles
    • Shorebirds
  • Get Involved
    • Adopt a Turtle Nest
    • Beach Stewarding
    • Bird Stewarding
    • License Plate
    • Lighting Guides
    • Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Media
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

About Us

For 30+ years Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch (AMITW) has coordinated conservation efforts for 12 miles of Manatee County shoreline. In three decades, we monitored 7339 turtle activities, protected 4454 nests, 301, 694 turtle eggs, and watched 271,680 hatchlings depart to become a future generation of loggerheads that will return to the region as they reach maturity — in about 30 years.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.
It’s not.”
(Dr. Seuss)

The program includes staff and volunteers who have documented the status of shoreline habitat and trends in sea turtle nesting. These data show that nesting by loggerhead turtles has declined, then rebounded in recent years. Nest destruction by both natural and non-indigenous predators has also increased during the same time period.

AMITW & Shorebird Monitoring coordinates with county, state and federal efforts to conserve sea turtles — particularly loggerheads., Manatee and Sarasota County hosts the highest density of loggerhead nests in the Gulf of Mexico.

Whether humans respect other species enough to protect sea turtles and their essential habitats will depend on the understanding developed by marine conservation biologists.

Mission Statement


In partnership with the Island Community through public education and cooperation, it is the mission of the AMITW & SBM to assure a suitable habitat for people, sea turtles & shorebirds, the ecosystem of the island and it’s surrounding waters.

Program Directors

Debbie Basilius

Treasurer – Secretary
Vice President

Diane Mcausey

Vice President
 

Volunteers


Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch is also staffed by wonderful volunteers!

Footer

Donate

We are a non profit organization staffed 100% by volunteers. Your donations big or small are what enables us to do our job!

Donate

FaceBookYouTube

All activities are performed by trained permitted staff working under Florida Fish and Wildlife permit.

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Florida Certification No: 85-8012634856C-6. Federal EIN: 65-0789979.

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE, OR FROM WWW.FLORIDACONSUMERHELP.COM. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch
PO Box 1114, Holmes Beach, Florida 34218
+1 (941) 301 8434    ·    AnnaMariaTurtleWatch@gmail.com

Developed by Artistic Inventions