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 found on the beachside of Galveston Island State Park last week — the first nest found on the park in over a decade.

The nest contained 107 eggs laid by a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, which is likely one of the most endangered sea turtle species in the world.

This was the primary 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 discovered, it was dropped at an incubation facility at Padre Island National Seashore, Marshall said.

“Every egg issues,” Marshall said. "Numerous 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 environment where they've the best chance for survival into adulthood."

The species was virtually lost within the Nineteen Eighties until intensive conservation efforts had been carried out on nesting beaches and through fisheries management, according to NOAA Fisheries. Bycatch — the intentional capture of non-target species while fishing — continues to be the largest risk going through 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 no less than 60 ft away and to name the Sea Turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.

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