Endangered sea turtle nest found at Galveston Island State Park for the primary time in a decade – Houston Public Media

A nest of endangered sea turtle eggs was discovered on the beachside of Galveston Island State Park last week — the primary nest discovered on the park in over a decade.

The nest contained 107 eggs laid by a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, which is without doubt one of the most endangered sea turtle species on the planet.

This was the primary nest discovered at Galveston Island State Park since 2012, based on Christopher Marshall, a professor of Marine Biology at Texas A&M and director for the Gulf Heart for Sea Turtle Analysis.

As soon as the nest was discovered, it was brought to an incubation facility at Padre Island Nationwide Seashore, Marshall mentioned.

“Every egg matters,” Marshall said. "Numerous nesting habitat for the Kemp's Ridley has been misplaced to storms, excessive tide and predation, which is why it is important to transport these nests to an surroundings where they have the best likelihood for survival into adulthood."

The species was nearly misplaced in the Nineteen Eighties till intensive conservation efforts had been implemented on nesting seashores and through fisheries management, based on NOAA Fisheries. Bycatch — the intentional seize of non-target species while fishing — continues to be the biggest threat facing Kemp's Ridley sea turtles.

Marshall mentioned the standard nesting season for the Kemp's Ridley sea turtle runs between April 1 and July 15. He urged anybody who finds a nest to stay at the least 60 toes away and to name the Sea Turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.

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