Loggerhead Island

1. What special considerations did you have to make for the nesting sea turtle sites located on the barrier island?

We made sure that there was no resorts or a ton of human interaction with the nests of the sea turtles. Also, due to the closeness of the homes, we made a rule stating that there must be dark hours once the sun sets so the turtles aren't drawn to the light of the buildings. The people inside the homes must shut the shades if they're going to have lights on. We also built a tall wall blocking the highway so the turtles aren't drawn to the lights of the cars. 

2. What special considerations had to be made when determining a good site for the proposed fishing pier?

We made sure it wasn't located near the turtles, worms, or other sea creatures that could be affected by the fishing. We also made sure that there was no boating allowed, only kayaking and canoeing. 

3. What could be some of the potential problems that might arise from the proposed golf course? Propose some of the ways in which the impacts can be reduced.

One of the concerns was the golf balls getting hit into the highway or the ocean and the sea creatures trying to eat it. To stop the golf balls from going into the highway we built another decently sized wall to prevent the balls from going into the highway. Also, we made sure that the golf course was far enough from the water so there wouldn't be a chance that it impacts the sea creatures.

4. What are the economic benefits to the community of Loggerhead County if the development was done with the least amount of environmental impact?

The Loggerhead County would be an ecosystem in its self. It would be very peaceful and how the world should truly be treated. The reproduction of the animals wouldn't be altered with nor would our presence create an issue to the island. The island would be a great example for the world to follow. 

5. Describe three ways in which humans negatively impact coastal ecosystems such as the one you are working on with Loggerhead Barrier Island.

Humans often litter their trash outside of their windows, meaning that the animals may attempt to eat it and die. Also, it's not the cleanest way for us to live. Another negative impact is how we don't protect the animals. Such as the sea turtles, we don't make sure that they're safe from people walking over the nests and even drawing them to the cars by the lights instead of being drawn to the ocean. One final negative impact is boating. Boating can kill the sea creatures in the ocean from their propellers.

6. How can maintaining natural vegetation help us to reduce the damage caused by oceanic events such as hurricanes, tsunami and continued beach erosion?

We can keep the shoreline in place making sure we do not disrupt the oceans ways of life.

7. After listening to the other groups make their presentations, were there any ideas they had you would have used if you had though about it before-hand? You should list at least three different ideas and indicate why their idea is actually better for the environment than yours. 

I did not see any other ideas that were better unfortunately, but I was able to come up with better ideas on my own. We could create an rule of absolutely NO LITTERING on the island. We could make the fine very large and threatening. Also, we could use solar panels to be more environmentally friendly. One final idea is to use compost to help the island grow.