First of the season
Recently, STI welcomed its first Green Sea Turtle egg of the season. According to the National Wildlife Federation, the Green Sea Turtle has seen a stark decrease in population and is considered endangered. The species has gone through a 90% population decline over the past 50 years, making their presence on SPI even more important.
Green Sea Turtles are victims of overhunting and are often being used as ingredients in “Sea turtle soup,” according to NOAA Fisheries, an organization dedicated to providing the nation with oceanic information and resources.
Climate change and habitat loss are also huge factors in their endangerment, as well as Fibropapilloma [FP] Disease, which causes tumors to grow externally on the turtle and inside the mouth, eyes and internal organs. It is often debilitating and deadly for the turtle. All species of sea turtles can receive the disease, but green sea turtles are at higher risk, according to NOAA.
Challenges
STI has also given a nesting season update on its Facebook page. Wendy Knight, Chief Executive Officer [CEO] of Sea Turtle Inc., spoke in the video. According to Knight, STI was forced to remove all of their chambers from corals. A chamber is where a set of eggs incubate until they hatch and a coral is a larger area holding the individual chambers. The removal was due to the mold growing within the chambers, brought in by the “unprecedented hurricane season.” Mold was growing from beneath the water’s surface, something STI was not expecting to see.
Knight explained that the coral was uninhabitable, and many eggs were not viable to hatch. STI did what they could to ensure every viable egg was saved. According to Kight, each of the 4,000 eggs were excavated, measured, checked for mold, sorted and identified as possibly viable or non-viable. After the ordeal, about 100 eggs were salvaged and deemed viable; they are now in an incubator at a separate facility. Knight said that the chances of the remaining eggs hatching are slim, but that “Sea Turtle Inc. would move Heaven and Earth if it only saves one.”
STI plans to launch a research agenda on the remediation of water and flooding during nesting season. STI thanks the public for their support during the most “challenging and disappointing nesting season in [the] organization’s history.”
New Patient
STI has also taken in a new patient under their care named “Captain Hook.” STI says he was found hooked on his right front flipper at the Isla Blanca Jettie. The hook has been removed and Captain is receiving treatment for the
injuries to his shell.
Ocean Stewards Program
The Ocean Stewards Program strives to teach Girl Scouts “the wonders of the sea while making a real difference,” according to the official STI Facebook page. It will be open to the following levels: Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors and Adults. The event will offer the scouts opportunities to build teamwork and engage with nature. The program will educate the scouts on sea turtles and how to protect the coastline. There will also be a beach cleanup. After the program, scouts can earn a patch for their efforts.
Kids Night Out
The Kids Night out: Hawksbill Adventure event is a kids-only educational evening. The event is slated for Saturday, Aug. 10 for ages 7-14. It will run from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Attendees will have three hours of private access to the education facility, resident Sea Turtles and the amphitheater. There will be educational sessions, and art and crafts with hands-on instruction. Snacks and drinks will be provided, along with a pizza dinner.
“Please note: this is a kid-only event. Parents will have to leave their little explorers to enjoy the evening” stated the official STI Facebook post announcing the event. Registration for the event is available through the STI website under their “Education Programs” menu. Admission is $50 per child.
Eco-Challenge
This August, STI is celebrating its monthly eco-challenge. Everyone is welcome to participate. To enter, participants must fill out the starter survey. Throughout the month, participants will log their sustainable habits and fill out the final survey at the end of the month. Those who participate have a chance to earn an STI “swag bag.” Interested parties can access the surveys here.
For more information and continuous updates, follow STI on Facebook and visit their website at seaturtleinc.org. Or call at (956) 761-4511. If a dead or injured Sea Turtle is found at or around South Padre Island, call the
emergency number at (956) 243-4361.
