Endangered sea turtle nest found 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 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 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 Center for Sea Turtle Research.

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

“Every egg issues,” Marshall mentioned. "Loads of nesting habitat for the Kemp's Ridley has been lost to storms, high tide and predation, which is why it is very important transport these nests to an environment the place they've one of the best chance for survival into maturity."

The species was nearly misplaced within the Eighties until intensive conservation efforts had been implemented on nesting beaches and through fisheries management, in line with NOAA Fisheries. Bycatch — the intentional capture of non-target species whereas fishing — continues to be the most important menace going through Kemp's Ridley sea turtles.

Marshall said 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 ft away and to name the Sea Turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.

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