Interested in helping us? Sign up for our Marine Debris Volunteer List and help us keep Texas beaches clean for sea turtles: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... #gcstr #sharethegulf #saveseaturtles #everybodyrow  #holdfast #commitment #community #turtlesagainsttrash #debrisfreeseas

Last week, our Marine Debris Team removed over 165 pounds of litter from Rettilon Road Beach on Bolivar Peninsula, including over 5,000 pieces of plastic!🐢🚮 Texas receives ten times more debris than other Gulf states and every pound removed from this coastal habitat makes a difference!

We are often asked if we offer tours of our facilities. At this time, we’re unable to provide public tours due to our state and federal permits.🐢 We’re excited to share that the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research is building the Cheryl Mellenthin Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital

This could be you tomorrow morning! 🚮🐢 Join our Marine Debris Team as we clean up the coast at Rettilon Road tomorrow, July 23rd, from 8–10AM. Whether you’re a new or returning volunteer, we would love to have you join and help make a difference. Let’s see who can collect the most trash!

The nesting patrol season may be over, but our work to protect sea turtles continues! Join our Marine Debris Team for a beach cleanup and help keep the Texas coast safe for sea turtles and other coastal wildlife.🐢🌊

Yesterday, we released one of our longtime patients back into the Gulf! 🐢🌊 This Kemp’s ridley arrived at our facility as a tiny post-hatchling washback in July 2025. After a year of rehabilitation, this turtle was ready to return home.

🌟 Sponsor Spotlight: Pam House and Steve Bowden 🌟 A big thank you to another one of our UTV sponsors, Pam House and Steve Bowden! As longtime volunteers with the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research

Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time to help keep Texas beaches clean for people, sea turtles, and wildlife. Sign up for our Marine Debris Program and help clean our beaches to protect sea turtles: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Every piece of trash left behind can harm sea turtles, shorebirds, and other coastal wildlife. When you visit the beach, pack it in, pack it out. Taking your trash with you is one of the simplest ways to help save sea turtles.

Today we held our post–Fourth of July beach cleanup in Brazoria County! 🌊🚮 After one of the busiest beach weekends of the year, our volunteers removed over 160 pounds of trash from the beach! We found everything from tiny microplastics to piles of fireworks.

We received our first washback of the season last night🐢🌊 Thank you to the members of the public that reported this Kemp's ridley sea turtle found on Galveston Island. Hatchlings are now emerging along the Texas coast, and washbacks may be seen along the shoreline.

Join us for a Post Fourth of July Beach Clean Up!🚮🎇 Holiday weekends are fun, but are a magnet for marine debris on our coastlines! Each year we find piles of drink cans, boxes, chip bags, fireworks, and fishing gear. Come help make the beach cleaner than you found it!

, assisting with stranding response, and rehabilitation work at our hospital. They'll also support our outreach and education programs which engage the public in marine conservation. We're grateful to have their enthusiasm, dedication, and passion on board,

We are so excited to introduce our 2026 GCSTR Summer Interns! 🐢☀️ These four undergraduates are all marine biology students at Texas A&M University Galveston Campus! This summer, they'll be fully immersed in every aspect of our sea turtle conservation programs including early morning nest patrols

Happy World Sea Turtle Day! Sea turtles are keystone species. They are indicators of ocean and ecosystem health. They help maintain a balance among predators and prey, which benefits fisheries and economies worldwide.

Kids (and parents) can rescue patients, run checkups, and help care for sea turtles in a hands-on rehab hospital experience. It is playful, immersive, and turns learning into an adventure you get to be part of! #gcstr #sharethegulf #everybodyrow #saveseaturtles #sayyestoseaturtles #communityimpact

Are you looking for a rainy day activity in Galveston this week and want to learn more about Texas sea turtles? Head to the Galveston Children’s Museum (@galvestonchildrensmuseum) to check out our GCSTR interactive sea turtle station!

Today's Threat of the day: Plastic Pollution One of the most common threats we find in very small, juvenile patients that come into our rehab hospital are the consumption of plastics.

Today we are celebrating Leatherback Day! Leatherbacks are the largest of the sea turtles and are the only species with a soft shell. They have 7 ridges that run from their head to their tail. These gentle giants have a diet almost entirely of jellyfish and can dive down to 1200 meters!

Sea turtles face extreme impacts due to climate change: today’s Threat of the Day! As global temperatures rise, warmer waters damage coral reefs and other important habitats that reduce the availability of important food sources.

June 14th is Green Sea Turtle Day for #SeaTurtleWeek! Green sea turtles typically inhabit our back bays and estuaries, where they feed on and help maintain seagrass beds. These habitats serve as important nurseries for juvenile crabs, shrimp, game fish, and oysters.

Today's sea turtle threat of the day also features hawksbills. These animals were hunted almost to extinction for their beautiful shells. They have overlapping scutes that were once used to make items such as jewelry, sunglasses and other products.

June 13th is Hawksbill day for #SeaTurtleWeek! Hawksbill sea turtles are named for their narrow, bird-like beak that helps them forage for sponges and other invertebrates found in the cracks and crevices of coral reefs. They are one of the smaller sea turtles, weighing around 150 lbs as adults.

#SeaTurtleWeek Threat of the Day: Entanglement. One of the biggest threats to sea turtles is accidental capture in fishing gear. According to the World Wildlife Fund, over 250,000 sea turtles are caught and drowned in fisheries each year. In 1989, federal regulations required the use of

June 12th is Loggerhead day! Adult loggerhead sea turtles can reach 4 feet (1.2 meters) in length and weigh between 200-400 pounds (90-180 kilograms). Dr. Marshall’s research found that this species can exert over 500 pounds of bite force with their jaws to crush mollusks and crabs.

Today's Threat of the Day: Ocean Pollution Sea turtles are vulnerable to ocean pollution at every life stage. This includes heavy metals, PCBs, petroleum products, microplastics, PFAS ("forever chemicals"), agricultural or industrial runoff, chemicals, excess nutrients, and untreated waste.

#SeaTurtleWeek continues today with our Texas State sea turtle: Kemp’s ridleys. This species is the smallest and most critically endangered.

Today’s Threat of the Day: Coastal Development: Development on the coast can affect sea turtles in many ways. Lights can deter nesting turtles and attract hatchlings, beach armoring and construction prevents nesting, and with development comes pollution.

Today’s #SeaTurtleWeek species of the day is the Australian Flatback! Can you guess where they are found? These unique sea turtles enjoy feasting on jellyfish, sea cucumbers, and soft corals. Discover more about flatbacks at (seaturtleweek.com/flatback-day).