What Is The Threat To Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles

Sea turtles have played critical roles in both ocean and beach/dune ecosystems for millennia. However, humans, both intentionally and unintentionally, have posed a major threat to the future sustainability of their species, especially in the last several decades. The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is the world’s most endangered sea turtle, classified by the ICNU as critical endangered since 1996. ("Lepidochelys Kempii (Atlantic Ridley, Gulf Ridley, Kemp's Ridley, Mexican Ridley)”). The worldwide female nesting population is estimated at roughly just 1,000 individual turtles, their survival truly hangs precariously in the balance. While there are vast multitude of incidental threats to Kemp’s ridley turtles, artificial lighting, incidental capture in mass fishing, oil spills and
The Kemp's ridley triangular-shaped heads have hooked beaks ideal for cracking the shells of their prey. Their oval carapaces are olive-gray in color and are almost as wide as they are long when they reach adulthood. Adult Kemp's primarily occupy neritic zones, which typically contain muddy or sandy bottoms where prey can be abundantly found. Their diet is made up mostly of crabs, but may also include fish, jellyfish, mollusks, and seagrass.
Female Kemp's ridley turtles nest from May to July, laying two to three clutches of around 100 eggs, which incubate for 50-60 days. Kemp's ridley turtles exhibit one of the most unique synchronized nesting habits in the natural world, known as an "arribada," which means "arrival" in Spanish. According to the NOAA Fisheries, there are many theories on what triggers an arribada, including offshore winds, lunar cycles, and the release of pheromones by females; scientists however have yet to conclusively determine the cues for ridley arribadas ("Kemp's Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys