Shrimpers, Not Oil? A Dead Turtle Inquiry

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/shrimpers-not-oil-a-dead-turtle-inquiry/?ref=science

Since Sunday, about 35 endangered sea turtles have washed up dead on beaches along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Some believe that this was due to the growing oil spill. Scientists have not found that the spill has anything to do with the turtle’s deaths and autopsies are showing no sign of any ingested oil. While some believe that the turtle’s are dying from the oil spill, others believe that it is due to nets of shrimpers that are in the ocean from a rig explosion and the turtle’s are getting caught in them and suffocating. So far this year, more than 200 sea turtles have washed up dead on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.

I believe that the turtles have not died from the oil spill. Seeing that 200+ sea turtles have died since the beginning of this year, it leads me to think that this could be normal. I think that if the oil spill is not taken care of very soon, we will start to see an increase in the number of turtles dying. I would like to know approximately how many sea turtles there are left being that they are endangered and dying at a fairly quick rate.