The 2009 nesting season for the endangered Kemp's ridley has started strong with 36 nests counted as of May 1. It could be another banner year for the embattled Kemp's, with new protections paving the way for a safe haven for a recovering population.

 Patrols are out all along the coast including the upper Texas coast where Hurricane Ike slammed into the beaches removing sand and dunes. Although much sand has been replaced, it is a different landscape for sea turtles. Watch the STRP blog for Gulf Director Carole Allen's regular nesting updates.

Victory! An emergency 6-month closure of the bottom longline fishery in the Gulf of Mexico will help protect Kemp's ridleys, loggerheads and other sea turtles from injury and death. Unfortunately, the scenario leading up to the closure, mirrors the same pattern environmentalists have faced for the past eight years: action was not taken until after Turtle Island and other groups filed a lawsuit to prevent the carnage from continuing. Read more on Carole Allen's blog and the press release.

Victory! The same week as the emergency closure, we all celebrated a "glorious day" for the Endangered Species Act when a Bush-era effort to weaken its provisions was rescinded by the Obama administration. Read more on Carole's blog.