The husbandry of hatchling to yearling Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempi)

"Head starting is one of a number of potentially effective conservation and management tools that may help prevent extinction of the seriously endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys kempi. However, head starting's utility and effectiveness in conservation and management are unproven (Klima and McVey, 1981). Though seven year-classes (1978-1984) of Kemp's ridley have been head started at the National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Center's Galveston Laboratory, and 9,258 survivors have been tagged and released into the Gulf of Mexico, none of these animals has returned to nest so far as is known. Therefore, head starting is still experimental"--Foreword, paragraph 1. Fontaine, C.T., K.T. Marvin, T.D. Williams, W.J. Browning, R.M. Harris, K.L.W Indelicato, G.A. Shattuck and R.A. Sadler. "July 1985." Also available online in PDF format via the NOAA Central Library. Includes bibliographical references. 1985 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) SEFSC (Southeast Fisheries Science Center) Library Public Domain 1864