CR

Lepidochelys kempii

Unknown

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Kemp's ridley sea turtle faces severe threats from incidental capture in shrimp trawling and other fishing operations, which remains the primary cause of mortality despite turtle excluder device requirements. Coastal development and beach armoring have eliminated or degraded critical nesting beaches, while oil spills and marine pollution continue to impact both nesting and foraging habitats. Climate change poses additional risks through rising sea levels affecting nesting beaches and altered ocean currents disrupting food webs.

Threat summary

Habitat

Kemp's ridley inhabits shallow coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, particularly nearshore areas with muddy and sandy bottoms where they forage for crabs and other benthic invertebrates. The species exhibits highly synchronized nesting behavior, with females coming ashore almost exclusively on a single beach at Rancho Nuevo, Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Marine oceanic· majorMarine coastal/supratidal· majorMarine neritic· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionHabitat & natural process restorationSpecies managementSpecies recoverySpecies reintroductionEx-situ conservationAwareness & communicationsLegislationPolicies and regulationsCompliance and enforcement

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Lepidochelys kempii classified as Critically Endangered?
Lepidochelys kempii is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Kemp's ridley sea turtle faces severe threats from incidental capture in shrimp trawling and other fishing operations, which remains the primary cause of mortality despite turtle excluder device requirements. Coastal development and beach armoring have eliminated or degraded critical nesting beaches, while oil spills and marine pollution continue to impact both nesting and foraging habitats. Climate change poses additional risks through rising sea levels affecting nesting beaches and altered ocean currents disrupting food webs.
Where does Lepidochelys kempii live?
Lepidochelys kempii occurs in Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, Portugal, and United States. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Lepidochelys kempii?
The main threats to Lepidochelys kempii are 5.4, 9.3.4, ai-1, and ai-2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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