Why were sea turtle eggs moved from Gulf Coast beaches after the Deepwater Horizon spill?

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Fireboats battle a blaze on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, April 2010. — Deepwater Horizon oil spill Fireboat response crews attempt to extinguish the blaze aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, April 21, 2010.

Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, wildlife officials moved thousands of sea turtle eggs from beaches in Alabama and Florida to protect the offspring from the environmental disaster.

The eggs were excavated and relocated to a warehouse to be hatched in a controlled, safe environment. Once hatched, the young turtles were released on the Atlantic coast to ensure they would not be exposed to the oil-contaminated waters of the Gulf of Mexico.1