Slowly but steadily, Georgia's sea turtle license plate has begun providing financial help for the Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island.

The tag was introduced last year after the state received commitments from 1,000 buyers.

The initial cost of the tag is $80. Annual renewals cost $55.

Initially, the tag was funded by a $25,000 investment from the Jekyll Island Authority, with the first wave of tag sales going to repay those funds.

The Sea Turtle Center's general manager, Betsy Coy, says that by mid-2010, the $25,000 had been recouped and $10 from every tag now sold or renewed goes to the center. About $5,000 has been received from tag sales each fiscal quarter.

Coy says she and center staff will be working to make the license option more popular.

Tags: revenue, Jekyll Island, sea turtle, license plates