FOLLY BEACH, S.C. Some volunteers who watch for turtles say about 150 loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings at Folly Beach may have died because of beach erosion and oceanfront lights left on at night.
The deaths Tuesday were from a previously undiscovered nest.
A rule bans lights on the beach from dusk to dawn between May and October, when turtles hatch.
Carole Bennett is coordinator of the Folly Beach Turtle Watch Program. She says local officers will strictly enforce the town's lighting ordinance from now on.
About 47 nests are scattered on the beach, each marked with orange tape and a sign warning the turtles are protected by state and federal law.
Bennett says this year's hatchlings may be more threatened than ever because of beach erosion and new building projects closer to the water.
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