Evaluating the effectiveness of the head-start experiment was contingent on recapturing and identifying turtles that were raised and released as part of this program. Next, the 15,875 resulting hatchlings were shipped to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Laboratory in Galveston, Texas for head-starting (Shaver 2005, 2007, Shaver and Wibbles 2007). ![]() From 1978 to 1988, 22,507 Kemp's ridley eggs were shipped to PAIS from Rancho Nuevo, Mexico for experimental imprinting (Shaver 2007). Part of this species recovery effort included an attempt to increase nesting of this native species at Padre Island National Seashore and form a secondary nesting colony here, as a safeguard against extinction (Shaver 1987, Caillouet et al. Restoration activities for Kemp’s ridleys began in Texas in 1978, as part of the multi-agency, bi-national Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Restoration and Enhancement Program (Shaver 1987, Shaver 1996a, 1996b, NMFS et al. Kemp’s ridley ( Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtle nests have been recorded on the Texas coast since 1948 (Shaver and Caillouet 1998, Shaver 2005). Your observations give naturalists and scientists a better understanding of the biodiversity throughout Maryland and the world.A biologist documents a Kemp's ridley sea turtle nesting on the beach. (Yes, even in winter!) No matter where you are and what season it is, consider making observations on iNaturalist to help record the diversity of flora and fauna in our region. The Aquarium’s Conservation team encourages you to visit Masonville Cove to explore its plants and wildlife. ![]() All observations can be viewed on our Masonville Cove BioBlitz 2020 iNaturalist project. And during a BioBlitz in celebration of Urban National Wildlife Refuge Day on September 26, volunteers observed a variety of plants and animals, documenting more than 230 observations of 134 different species. Volunteers Get Back to Work at Masonville CoveĪquarium volunteers showed up in (safe, socially distanced) force this fall at Masonville Cove, the country’s first designated Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership.Īs part of the annual International Coastal Cleanup, 28 volunteers removed 9,182 pieces of debris from Masonville Cove on October 10. In addition to caring for Pecorino, Animal Rescue is now gearing up for the annual influx of cold-stunned sea turtles who did not migrate far enough south before air and water temperatures dipped in New England and the mid-Atlantic.Įarlier this year, the team marked the release of the 300th animal rehabilitated by National Aquarium Animal Rescue since the program was founded in 1991. The other, Tulum, was a critical case who unfortunately passed away in October following surgical complications. One turtle, nicknamed Pecorino, was suffering from injuries that appeared to be from a boat strike. Because of the pandemic, National Aquarium Animal Rescue partnered with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police marine unit to release these turtles by boat rather than from the beach, where crowds of onlookers tend to gather.Īlmost immediately after the release, two new Kemp’s ridley patients rescued in Delaware arrived at the Aquarium for rehab in September. The last three sea turtles of the 2019 rescue season-two Kemp’s ridleys and one green, called Mozzarella, Stilton and Halloumi in line with our 2019 cheese naming theme-returned to the ocean in early September. You can help!Īs one noteworthy sea turtle rescue season ended this fall, another began. The newest hatchling will be cared for behind the scenes until it is an adult.Īccording to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, Mertens’ water monitors are endangered.įrom brand new babies to old favorites, every animal at the National Aquarium receives the highest standard of care from our team. Three Mertens’ water monitors hatched at the Aquarium in 2014 and can be seen in Australia: Wild Extremes today. “It’s only about three weeks after fertilization that the eggs are laid, but Mertens’ water monitors have an unusually long incubation time, so patience and monitoring were key,” explains Assistant Curator Jessica Nelson. Herpetologists Drew Roderuck and Matt Benedict discovered the egg more than a year ago, in September 2019. ![]() The lizard took its time arriving, which is not unusual for this species. The National Aquarium grew by one last month, with the hatching of a Mertens’ water monitor in a behind-the-scenes area of Australia: Wild Extremes on October 14.
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