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 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 likely one of the most endangered sea turtle species in the world.

This was the first nest found 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 Heart for Sea Turtle Analysis.

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

“Each egg issues,” Marshall said. "Numerous nesting habitat for the Kemp's Ridley has been misplaced to storms, excessive tide and predation, which is why you will need to transport these nests to an atmosphere the place they have the very best chance for survival into adulthood."

The species was virtually lost within the Nineteen Eighties until intensive conservation efforts had been implemented on nesting seashores and through fisheries administration, in response to NOAA Fisheries. Bycatch — the intentional seize of non-target species whereas fishing — continues to be the largest threat dealing with 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 anybody who finds a nest to stay a minimum of 60 ft away and to call the Sea Turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.

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