The world according to me....

Coastal systems are often dynamic, undergoing changes on short-term and long-term time scales. Nesting beaches also change over time. Some may disappear, others may move, and new ones may appear at different times. This is Drum Inlet, in Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina, USA, taken from the air at about 200 meters. Inlets are naturally dynamic, and they become even more so under the influence of major climactic events. This photo was taken a few days after Hurricane Isabel passed over Drum Inlet as it moved northwest into North Carolina. The inlet is still there, but its configuration has changed, as have most of the beaches along the northern Outerbanks of North Carolina. Obviously, an event such as this can negatively impact sea turtle nests still incubating in the sand. But does it have an impact on beach selection in future nesting seasons? Only time will tell, but as sea turtles have been experiencing hurricanes and other major climactic events for millions of years, the impact probably is minimal in the long term.