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Sea Turtle Nesting Season Begins In Florida

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) — It's that time of the year again.

If you are planning a trip to the beach, be careful where you step.  It's sea turtle nesting season and State wildlife officials are hoping for another good turnout this year.

Nesting season officially began Saturday. This month, leatherback sea turtles will begin laying eggs along Florida's Atlantic coast. Later this spring, loggerhead and green sea turtles will begin laying eggs in other coastal counties.

Biologists say a record high number of loggerhead nests counted in 2012 was followed by a record high number of green turtle nests in 2013.

More sea turtles nest in Florida than anywhere else in the U.S. Florida's sea turtle nesting season typically runs through October, though it continued late into the fall last year.

All sea turtles are protected by Florida and federal laws. It is illegal to touch or disturb nesting sea turtles, hatchlings or their nests.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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