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 final week — the primary nest discovered 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 this planet.

This was the first nest discovered at Galveston Island State Park since 2012, in line with Christopher Marshall, a professor of Marine Biology at Texas A&M and director for the Gulf Middle for Sea Turtle Research.

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

“Each 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 very important transport these nests to an environment where they have the best chance for survival into adulthood."

The species was almost lost in the Nineteen Eighties until intensive conservation efforts have been carried out on nesting seashores and thru fisheries management, in line with NOAA Fisheries. Bycatch — the intentional capture of non-target species whereas fishing — continues to be the largest risk facing Kemp's Ridley sea turtles.

Marshall stated 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 remain not less than 60 toes away and to name the Sea Turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.

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