Kemp's ridley sea turtles are the smallest of the species, initially located in the Gulf of Mexico. These turtles have been on the verge of extinction for years. The population began to decline in the mid-20th century, reaching a low record of 250 nesting females. Therefore, entities deployed intensive conservation efforts to protect the endangered species.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), along with other fishery partners, has put in efforts through training techniques, research studies, monitoring, and conservation initiatives to preserve the Kemp Ridley turtle. Loss of habitat is one of the factors that endangers the species. However, fishing and netting tools pose the most significant threat.
To address this, NOAA Fisheries and partners strive to develop measures that alter fishing gear practices, using tools like turtle excluder devices and spatial or temporal closure to mitigate or prevent bycatch.
The direct removal of their eggs, habitat destruction, predators, ship strikes, and global warming threaten the turtles. Measures taken to protect them include actively patrolling the sea and Kemp's ridley nesting beaches, analyzing threats towards them and developing protective measures, and spreading awareness of sea turtle conservation.
As a result of these ongoing conservation methods, the population has posted a 15 percent annual growth in nests. Kemp's ridley sea turtles have reached 10,000 in the wild. Therefore, turtles benefit from the implementation of broader conservation efforts.
