The world’s most imperiled sea turtle faces frequent threats: poaching, shrimp nets, storms and an assortment of predators. But 107 eggs found along the Texas coast serve as a reminder that the endangered species can be saved.
Sea turtle eggs are collected last week at Galveston Island State Park in Texas. The world’s most imperiled sea turtle faces frequent threats: poaching, shrimp nets, storms and an assortment of predators, including coyotes and raccoons.
“Because Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are the most critically endangered sea turtles in the world, every egg matters,” said Christopher Marshall, director of the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research at Texas A&M University at Galveston, which runs the conservation program.Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, the smallest sea turtles in the world, were common before facing a dramatic drop-off in population in the mid-20th century.
“It represents a critical need for the species to have quiet beaches that are of good quality, and the Galveston Island State Park still has that,” Marshall said. “And I think that’s becoming more rare on the upper Texas coast.” Kemp’s ridley sea turtles engage in arribada nesting, where groups of them come out of the water together to nest simultaneously as a defense against predators. The more baby sea turtles there are, Marshall said, the lower the chances that predators will eat them all before they reach the water.
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