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 found on the beachside of Galveston Island State Park last 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 without doubt one of the most endangered sea turtle species on the earth.

This was the first nest discovered 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 Center for Sea Turtle Research.

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

“Each egg matters,” Marshall mentioned. "Plenty of nesting habitat for the Kemp's Ridley has been lost to storms, excessive tide and predation, which is why it is important to transport these nests to an setting where they have the most effective chance for survival into adulthood."

The species was virtually misplaced in the Nineteen Eighties till intensive conservation efforts have been implemented on nesting beaches and thru fisheries management, according to NOAA Fisheries. Bycatch — the intentional seize of non-target species while fishing — continues to be the biggest 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 anyone who finds a nest to remain at least 60 ft away and to name the Sea Turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.

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