![]() The coastal authority’s executive director, Bren Haase, added: “We have a responsibility to protect the wildlife here, and that means creating safe and nourishing environments for these turtles and other animals that call Louisiana home. “We are gaining a better understanding of the benefits this barrier island restoration may provide in the recovery of this endangered species across the Gulf of Mexico.” “It is well known that the Chandeleur Islands provide key habitats for a host of important species however, with the recent discovery of a successful Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatching, the islands’ value to the region has been elevated,” said the wildlife and fisheries department’s secretary, Jack Montoucet. The effort involves replenishing and protecting various marine life that have been affected by the oil spill. As a result, the coastal authority and Louisiana’s wildlife and fisheries department have been closely monitoring the islands since May as part of a regional effort to restore them. The BP oil spill resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion significantly affected the Chandeleur Islands, along with various hurricanes and other tropical weather systems in recent years. Having this knowledge now allows us to make sure these turtles and other wildlife return to our shores year after year.” He added: “As we develop and implement projects statewide, we are always keeping in mind what’s needed to preserve our communities and enhance wildlife habitat. “Louisiana was largely written off as a nesting spot for sea turtles decades ago, but this determination demonstrates why barrier island restoration is so important,” said the coastal authority’s chairman, Chip Kline. The recent discovery of the hatchlings in Louisiana is particularly significant as 95% of the nesting take place in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Some of the major threats Kemp’s ridleys face include being caught unintentionally by fishers, being harvested or having their eggs harvested, degradation of their nesting habitats, natural predators preying on their eggs and hatchlings, being struck by sea vessels, ocean pollution and climate change. ![]() However, from the mid-1900s to the 1980s, their population dropped drastically, reaching a low of only several hundred females. Their population flourished during the early 1900s as tens of thousands of females nested in Rancho Nuevo, Mexico. ![]() The turtles are predominantly found in the Gulf, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The causes of strandings are often difficult to determine, but are known to include interactions with fishing gear, ingestion of marine debris, boat strikes, disease and sudden exposure to cold water temperatures.The news was particularly uplifting for environmentalists because the hatchlings were Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, an endangered species that also happens to be the world’s smallest sea turtle. Strandings are events in which several hundred sea turtles wash ashore dead or near death. One of the issues facing sea turtles are strandings. The path to achieving this goal is described in a comprehensive Conservation Outline, which is meant to guide the conservation, research and management of sea turtles in Virginia and Maryland over a ten-year period. The overarching goal of the conservation plan is to enhance the survival and conserve the habitats of sea turtles in Virginia and Maryland. In 2015, the VDGIF, the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center’s Stranding Response Program and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources drafted the Virginia and Maryland Sea Turtle Conservation Plan (which is still awaiting final approval). The Department continues to support sea turtle research that has strong management implications and furthers the conservation of sea turtle within the Commonwealth and beyond. VDGIF has taken the lead in promoting the establishment of a multi-agency sea turtle nest monitoring and management program that is consistent with other state programs in the US loggerhead nesting range. ![]() The recovery of these species requires a substantial and well-coordinated effort to understand each species’ distribution and abundance as well as its life history and ecology thus, many of these programs are developed and implemented through partnerships with other conservation agencies and organizations. Juvenile green sea turtle discovered in the Chickahominy River near Chickahominy Wildlife Management Area. ![]()
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