FGCU

This week at FGCU flew by! We did a variety of activities from varying scientific aspects including geology, anthropology, chemistry, and ecology. On two of our boat trips we saw Kemp's ridley sea turtles! Kemp's ridleys are the smallest of the marine turtles maxing at 100 pounds at full adult size. They prefer neritic, or sandy/muddy bottom, habitats where their preferred prey lives. These include crabs, fish, and mollusks. Kemp's ridley sea turtles have a very unique breeding strategy, in which a synchronized nesting of nearly 95% of their entire population, known as an arribada, occurs along three beaches in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Kemp's ridleys also nest during the day unlike any other marine turtle. Unfortunately, the Kemp's ridley is the world's most endangered turtle with about only 1,000 breeding females in the wild. Conservation efforts such as the invention of TEDs and making egg collection illegal, have helped but much more is needed to be done.