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 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 among the most endangered sea turtle species on the planet.

This was the first nest discovered at Galveston Island State Park since 2012, in keeping with Christopher Marshall, a professor of Marine Biology at Texas A&M and director for the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research.

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

“Each egg matters,” Marshall mentioned. "Lots 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 atmosphere the place they've the most effective chance for survival into adulthood."

The species was almost lost in the Nineteen Eighties until intensive conservation efforts have been applied on nesting beaches and through fisheries management, in keeping with NOAA Fisheries. Bycatch — the intentional seize of non-target species whereas fishing — continues to be the largest threat 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 a minimum of 60 feet away and to call the Sea Turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.

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