Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles....An Imperiled Species

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC, Columbia) | Format: .PDF

www.cerc.usgs.gov — Following the Kemp's Ridley on their perilous trek from Padre Island National Seashore, TX, where they are establishing a secondary nesting colony, to the Gulf of Mexico, is tricky business. Satellite transmitters are attached to a select number of females returning to the sea after laying eggs, their movements tracked by receivers picking up the More... Following the Kemp's Ridley on their perilous trek from Padre Island National Seashore, TX, where they are establishing a secondary nesting colony, to the Gulf of Mexico, is tricky business. Satellite transmitters are attached to a select number of females returning to the sea after laying eggs, their movements tracked by receivers picking up the signals emitted from their backpacks. This signal tells the scientists where the adults are feeding and resting before making their journey back to the island. The transmitters can last up to 18 months on their backs before failing or falling off. Recent information from the transmitter/receiver data shows that many of the females are hugging the south Texas shoreline, staying in warmer, more shallow waters. In addition, autopsies of Kemp's Ridleys washed onshore verify that these adults are primarily feeding on crabs. Just knowing what areas of this Gulf coast that might need special protection is valuable information for wildlife authorities Less...