Scientific investigations have demonstrated that marine turtles can nest along the entire coastline of the state. Historical data are not sufficient to exclude any county as an area utilized by marine turtles for nesting. For the purposes of this rule, however, the coastal areas of the state utilized, or likely to be utilized, by marine turtles for nesting include all beaches adjoining the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Straits of Florida and located within Bay, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Dade, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gulf, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Palm Beach, Pinellas, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Volusia, and Walton Counties; and all inlet shorelines of those beaches.
Rulemaking Authority 161.63 FS. Law Implemented Florida Statutes § 161.163. History-New 3-30-93, Formerly 16B-55.003.