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

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

The nest contained 107 eggs laid by a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, which is one of the most endangered sea turtle species on the earth.

This was the primary nest found 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 Middle for Sea Turtle Analysis.

Once the nest was found, it was delivered to an incubation facility at Padre Island National Seashore, Marshall said.

“Each egg matters,” Marshall stated. "A variety of 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 atmosphere where they've one of the best probability for survival into adulthood."

The species was virtually lost within the Nineteen Eighties until intensive conservation efforts were carried out on nesting seashores and through fisheries management, based on NOAA Fisheries. Bycatch — the intentional seize of non-target species whereas fishing — continues to be the largest menace going through Kemp's Ridley sea turtles.

Marshall said the typical nesting season for the Kemp's Ridley sea turtle runs between April 1 and July 15. He urged anyone who finds a nest to remain not less than 60 ft away and to name the Sea Turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.

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