World

Hundreds of sea turtles are stranded on a beach in Texas. Officials don’t know why

Officials are baffled after hundreds of sea turtles ran aground on Texas beaches.

According to a news release from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, a record-high total of 282 loggers turned up in Texas between April 1 and August 19, more than double the total number of strandings. in any year from 2012 to 2021.

The reason for the spike is not clear.

Donna J. Shaver, coordinator of the Texas Sea Turtle Salvage and Rescue Network and head of the Department of National Parks’ Department of National Parks’ Sea Turtle Science and Rehabilitation Division. .

“The dramatic increase in the number of people trapped in the forest this year is alarming and STSSN participants must be on high alert in Coastal Bend to be ready to deal with the increase in loggers losing their lives. working capacity needs immediate rescue and care.”

There are five species of sea turtles found in the Gulf of Mexico. The stilts are the most abundant nesting species in the United States, although their populations still face decline, largely due to by-products from fishing activities. As adults, sea turtles can grow up to 3.5 feet long and weigh up to 350 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Over the past decade, an average of 109 sea turtles are stranded on Texas beaches each year, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Most of the strandings this year have occurred on Texas’ Bend Coast between Calhoun and Kleberg counties. According to the agency, about two-thirds of the stranded sea turtles found are dead. Those found alive were “lightweight and emaciated.”

Mary Kay Skoruppa, US Fish and Wildlife Service Sea Turtle Coordinator for Texas, in the statement.

“The affected loggers were found to be underweight and emaciated. They are being carefully looked after in their rehabilitation and we hope that most will recover and eventually be released back into the Gulf.” Mexican.”

Scientists were able to rule out several causes of stranding: They weren’t caused by infectious disease, biotoxins or fisheries-related fishing, the service stated.

Instead, the scientists suggest that the explanation may lie in changes in sea turtles’ habitat and access to prey. Investigators are sampling living and dead sea turtles to determine what factors may be behind the mysterious strandings.

If you see a sea turtle on the beach, you should report the sighting to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and follow up if possible, to help officials find the animal.

“It takes a lot of coordination between trained, authorized individuals to successfully rescue stranded sea turtles,” Skoruppa said in the statement. “It is therefore important that residents report their sightings immediately, so that rescue efforts can begin quickly.”

Source link

news7h

News7h: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button