“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and partners
documented 697 Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nests on the Texas coast during the
2026 nesting season, a 55% increase from the 449 nests located in 2025…
Kemp’s ridley sea turtles likely once formed large nesting colonies across
the western Gulf of America before being driven to the edge of extinction
by egg collection, fishing bycatch and habitat loss. In response, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, National Marine Fisheries
Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Mexico’s Instituto
Nacional de Pesca launched a restoration action plan, which outlined an
ambitious effort to save the species from extinction.”
