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 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 without doubt 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 Middle for Sea Turtle Research.

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

“Each egg matters,” Marshall stated. "Plenty of nesting habitat for the Kemp's Ridley has been misplaced to storms, high tide and predation, which is why it is very important transport these nests to an setting where they have the very best chance for survival into maturity."

The species was almost misplaced in the Nineteen Eighties till intensive conservation efforts had been applied on nesting seashores and thru fisheries administration, in response to NOAA Fisheries. Bycatch — the intentional seize of non-target species while fishing — continues to be the most important risk going through 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 at the very least 60 feet away and to call the Sea Turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.

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