Florida Seawall Fight Pits Homeowners Against Sea Turtles

On North Manasota Key, a seawall built to protect one stretch of shoreline is having ripple effects up and down the coast, according to coastal researcher Dr. Ping Wang: reflected wave energy is scouring the beach and cutting off the sand supply neighboring properties depend on. That's left homeowners facing accelerating erosion and considering mitigation of their own, while more than 30 sea turtle nests have washed out as nesting habitat gets squeezed into a narrow strip in front of the wall. Sarasota County denied seawall permits for two properties last May, and a rehearing is set for September 8 as advocates push state and county agencies to see the damage firsthand.