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Fire Ants Threaten Sea Turtles

Scientists have now documented that Florida's Fire Ants are capable of killing sea turtles. As an aside to research documenting beach erosion and coyotes as threats to Florida's nesting sea turtles, the new report confirms that fire ants can swarm and sting turtles to death while they're still in the nest.

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Tracking Threats to Sea Turtles

In the first documented report on Fire Ants attacking hatching sea turtles, scientists have confirmed that the ants can swarm on and kill baby sea turtles that are still in their beachside nests. While the finding is important, the scientists are quick to point out that it is not a common problem. At least yet.

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Monitoring to Protect Sea Turtles

With newly documented proof that fire ants can kill baby sea turtles, scientists are working on methods to protect turtles' beachside nests. But biologist Meg Lamont says one of the most important protections is already in place. Scientists and volunteers that monitor virtually all of Florida's beaches for turtle nesting activity...

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Fire Ants and Florida Beaches

The first scientific documentation that Fire Ants have swarmed on and killed newly hatched sea turtles, provides another reminder as to the threat of non-native species like fire ants being introduced in Florida. While scientists say the ants are by no means a great threat to sea turtles, they remind us that before the ants came to Florida, they were no threat at all. But biologist Meg Lamont and her colleague Craig Allen say the ants bear watching because of their ability to spread and dominate....

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Big threats and little threats to Florida's Sea Turtles

While scientists have now documented instances of Fire Ants killing newly-hatched sea turtles in Florida, they say it just one more threat the endangered turtles face. Biologist Meg Lamont was part of the team that discovered the Fire Ant threat while studying far greater problems...