In 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 has forced countries and cities to perform locked down. Human’s daily routine and outdoor activities were all affected by the strict restrictions.
During the summer season, the beach is the go-to choice for a majority of people. However, the lockdown has forced people to stay at home and thus, reducing the number of people in the vicinity. This significant reduction in human activities provided the perfect opportunity for the sea turtle to nest at the beach. This was reported in recent news in Florida, U.S.
According to Witherington & Martin (2003), Florida, U.S. is the main nesting area for several types of sea turtle such as the endangered green sea turtles, leatherback sea turtles and others (Scott, 2020).
According to Scott (2020), the main reason for the increase in sea turtles nesting at the beaches was due to the decline in human activities. This can also be linked to the usage of artificial lights and noise pollution. With the suspend of beach activities, the beaches also saw less artificial light and noise pollution. Therefore, with the absence of a large number of people, the beaches provide a comfortable environment for the female sea turtles to return and nest.
However, experts asserted that the resume of human activities will definitely affect the phenomenon again. Hence, we should not take this for granted but must try our best to maintain or even improve the situation to protect our natural ecosystem!
If you are interested, this is the link for the news about increasing sea turtles returning to Florida beaches for nesting during the pandemic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/2020/10/florida-could-see-a-sea-turtle-baby-boom-thanks-to-pandemic/
Cheers,
Shee Wen & Nicole 
References:
Scott, J. (2020). National Geographic. Florida could see a sea turtle baby boom-thanks to pandemic. Retrieved November 02, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/2020/10/florida-could-see-a-sea-turtle-baby-boom-thanks-to-pandemic/
Witherington, B., & Martin, E. (2003). Understanding, Assessing, and Resolving Light-Pollution Problems on Sea Turtle Nesting Beaches. Fl. Mar. Res. Inst. Tech. Rep. TR-2.