Nests found of endangered sea turtles

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: AP via NBC Austin

Five Kemp's ridley sea turtle nests
in Padre

Updated: Thursday, 23 Apr 2009, 10:39 AM CDT
Published : Thursday, 23 Apr 2009, 10:39 AM CDT

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) - Biologists have found five Kemp's Ridley sea turtle nests along the Padre Island National Seashore.

The Wednesday finds bring the total of the endangered sea turtles' nests found along the Texas coast to 10 this year. The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports in its online edition Thursday that one nest was found on South Padre Island.



Read more: http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/Nests_found_of_endangered_sea_turtles

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Homecoming for small Ike victims?
Researching team hopes Kemp’s ridley turtles return to repaired nesting areas

This week, Texas A&M Galveston professor Andre Landry begins his annual beach expeditions.

He and his students will comb the Texas coastline looking for nesting sites of the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. When they find eggs they’ll send them to Padre Island for incubation.

But last year, Hurricane Ike destroyed vast amounts of beach on the upper Texas coast, decimating the turtle’s nesting habitat along with it. A beach nourishment campaign has trucked sand to places like Bolivar Peninsula and the area in front of the Galveston Seawall. But nobody knows if it’s been enough to encourage the sea turtles to return and lay their eggs. Nesting season lasts from April to mid-July.

“We just don’t know what we’ll find this year,” Landry said.

More... http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6370569.html

[redqueen]

1. Glad they're finding some, at least.

There is hope.

[Muttocracy]

2. Every little one so precious. nt

[BlancheSplanchnik]

3. Oh GOOD!! Good!

It's great to hear this! I'm glad to know they're finding spots to nest. It's great to hear every piece of biological/ecological good news!

I love sea turtles!

[aquart]

4. Nice. Now UNfind them.

[sakura]

5. They won't unfind them.

The universities in the area have programs that move the eggs to safety until they hatch. They are considered a delicacy--and would be dug up and eaten by humans otherwise, as they are in Mexico. On the day they begin to hatch, the turtles are brought out at sunrise to be released, so that they will remember the habitat when they come back years later to lay eggs. My husband and I participated in one of the releases, keeping gulls at bay until the little guys made it to the ocean.