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 final week — the first nest found at the park in over a decade.

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

This was the primary nest discovered 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 Analysis.

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

“Every egg matters,” Marshall stated. "A variety 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 environment where they have the most effective chance for survival into maturity."

The species was almost lost within the Eighties until intensive conservation efforts were implemented on nesting beaches and through fisheries administration, based on 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 anybody 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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