Endangered sea turtle nest discovered 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 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 one of the most endangered sea turtle species on the earth.

This was the primary nest discovered at Galveston Island State Park since 2012, according to 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 discovered, it was brought to an incubation facility at Padre Island National Seashore, Marshall stated.

“Every egg matters,” Marshall mentioned. "A variety of nesting habitat for the Kemp's Ridley has been misplaced to storms, high tide and predation, which is why you will need to transport these nests to an atmosphere the place they have one of the best probability for survival into adulthood."

The species was nearly misplaced within the Eighties till intensive conservation efforts were implemented on nesting beaches and thru fisheries administration, 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 standard 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 call the Sea Turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.

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