Aquarium Lecture on Ridley's Sea Turtle

Title: The Recovery of the Atlantic (Kemp's) Ridley Sea Turtle

Presenter: Dr. Milford Fletcher, retired Chief Scientist, National Park Service

Presented by Dr. Milford Fletcher who retired from the National Park Service as Chief Scientist of the Southwest Region. Dr. Fletcher will discuss his participation in the creation of the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempi) nesting site on Padre Island in Texas, and the research and conservation efforts that may be saving the world’s most endangered sea turtle.

In 1978 the entire population on earth was estimated to be 800 individuals, and the only known nesting beach was at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico, about 200 miles south of Brownsville, Texas. In 1986 the International Union for the Conservation of Nature declared the Kemp’s Ridley to be one of the twelve most endangered species (of any taxa) in the world. A coalition of 4 scientists representing three U.S. government agencies and Mexico commenced an ambitious program to establish a new nesting beach at Padre Island National Seashore, managed by the National Park Service. The Ridley nesting population at Padre Island is currently on a slow but steady increase. The total population of Ridleys was estimated in 2000 to be 1200, and in 2003 to be more than 2500. Officials are now guardedly optimistic about the future of the smallest of all sea turtles.

In addition to his work on the Atlantic Ridley Recovery program, Dr Fletcher supervised science and resource management activities for all NPS areas in 6 southern states, including Texas, and has also conducted extensive research on bats, mountain lions, Peregrine falcons, cave dwellers and a variety of other subjects. He worked as an ecologist in India for two months and recently spent 6 months in Jordan addressing ecological problems associated with the expansion of Petra Archeological Park. He is currently retired and resides in the East Mountains near Albuquerque.

Visitors to the Aquarium can view three species of Sea Turtle: Loggerhead, Hawksbill, and Kemp’s Ridley. The Ridley was a hatchling at the Padre Island nest site, but was kept in captivity because of a deformed shell.

Lectures take place in the Aquarium Theater.