Sea turtle nest discovered on Mississippi mainland for first time since 2018

Shell yeah!

A sea turtle nest was discovered on the mainland of Mississippi for the first time since 2018, according to officials.

The discovery came after turtle tracks were spotted near Pass Christian Harbor, about 10 miles west of Gulfport.

Officials must wait for the eggs to hatch in the next 60 days or so to determine the species.

An Institute of Marine Mammal Sciences researcher takes pictures of a dead sea turtle in 2010. (Dave Martin/)

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies marked off the turtle nesting area after being alerted by beach crew members.

The devastating BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 has presented challenges for turtles in the area, as did the Bonnet Carré Spillway in 2019, reports the Sun Herald newspaper in Biloxi, Miss.

“After all the environmental disasters we’ve had, this is a good sign,” Moby Solangi, president of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, told the outlet.

“When (turtle populations) have gone down, it means the ecosystem that supports them is having difficulty. When animals start breeding, it means things have started to get better.”

With News Wire Services