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 final week — the primary nest discovered 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 this planet.

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

As soon as the nest was found, it was brought to an incubation facility at Padre Island National Seashore, Marshall said.

“Every egg matters,” Marshall said. "Lots of 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 where they have one of the best chance for survival into adulthood."

The species was almost misplaced in the Eighties till intensive conservation efforts were carried out on nesting beaches and through fisheries administration, based on NOAA Fisheries. Bycatch — the intentional seize of non-target species whereas fishing — continues to be the largest menace facing Kemp's Ridley sea turtles.

Marshall stated 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 stay at the least 60 toes away and to call the Sea Turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.

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