There are 5 species of sea turtles inhabiting the Gulf of Mexico, all of which are considered to be either threatened or endangered. Some of the threats these sea turtles face in the Gulf are drowning in shrimp nets, getting caught in hook and line, vehicle traffic, development of beaches, ocean and light pollution. The Kemp’s ridley is the smallest and most critically endangered of all the sea turtles. Its populations are slowly recovering thanks to the collaborative effort of the Mexican and U.S. governments, the scientific community, grass roots organizations and many dedicated people. The Kemps ridley nests on Texas beaches from roughly the end of April through the end of June and any person walking or driving on a Texas beach has the potential to come across one of these amazing animals.

 

 

 

Panama’s forests are falling silent.  A microscopic fungus is sweeping through the jungles of Central America, killing large numbers of amphibians with which it comes in contact.

But there is hope. In the small village of El Valle de Anton, nestled in the crater of an extinct volcano, an international team of zoos and other conservation organizations is locked in a desperate race against time, attempting to safeguard threatened frogs, toads and salamanders from extinction.

El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC), a project initiated by the Houston Zoo, and the dedication of biologists Edgardo Griffith and Heidi Ross to protecting amphibian diversity in Panama.