Endangered sea turtle nest found 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 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 among the most endangered sea turtle species in the world.

This was the first nest found 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.

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

“Each egg issues,” Marshall said. "Quite a lot of nesting habitat for the Kemp's Ridley has been misplaced to storms, excessive tide and predation, which is why it is important to transport these nests to an atmosphere the place they have the best chance for survival into adulthood."

The species was virtually lost within the Nineteen Eighties till intensive conservation efforts had been implemented on nesting beaches and through fisheries administration, in line with NOAA Fisheries. Bycatch — the intentional seize of non-target species while fishing — continues to be the most important 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 remain at the very least 60 feet away and to name the Sea Turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.

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