Whether sea-level rise impacts Kemp's ridley sea turtles at Padre Island National Seashore will be studied/Rebecca Latson file

How sea level rise might impact Kemp's ridley sea turtles at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas will be studied by seashore staff thanks to $153,000 in funding from the National Park Service's Natural Resources Fund Source.

The Park Service will partner with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) on the field research. TAMU-CC will measure the sea level and the park’s coastline using mobile LiDAR surveys during the summer of 2024 sea turtle nesting season. Data collected will be used to develop a risk assessment model that will quantify inundation risk for sea turtle nests. 

This project is part of a comprehensive effort to better understand and protect the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle population that use the park as a nesting ground. This study will compliment two other recently federally-funded projects that also focus on Kemp’s ridley sea turtle protection and management. The first project provided $200,000 to the U.S. Geological Survey to determine survival rates and resource use patterns of the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. The second provided $100,000 to research the emerging incidence of fibropapillomatosis, a wildlife disease, in Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. 

Padre Island’s Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery focuses on the protection and conservation of five species of sea turtles: Kemp's ridley, green, loggerhead, hawksbill, and leatherback. Its work is an important part of global efforts to save sea turtles and the park is proud to partner with the many volunteers, organizations, and local community to help recover these iconic species.