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

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

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

This was the primary nest found at Galveston Island State Park since 2012, in response to Christopher Marshall, a professor of Marine Biology at Texas A&M and director for the Gulf Heart for Sea Turtle Research.

As soon as the nest was found, it was dropped at an incubation facility at Padre Island Nationwide Seashore, Marshall stated.

“Every egg matters,” Marshall mentioned. "A lot 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 surroundings the place they have one of the best chance for survival into maturity."

The species was nearly misplaced in the Eighties until intensive conservation efforts were carried out on nesting beaches and through fisheries management, according to NOAA Fisheries. Bycatch — the intentional seize of non-target species while fishing — continues to be the biggest menace dealing with Kemp's Ridley sea turtles.

Marshall mentioned the everyday 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 not less than 60 ft away and to call the Sea Turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.

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