The North Carolina Aquariums released 107 rehabilitated cold-stunned sea turtles from December and January stranding events. The turtles were transported to U.S. Coast Guard Station Fort Macon for release on 30 January 2023.
The effort was only possible with the help of state organizations such as North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine and N.C. Aquariums, federal agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Coast Guard and National Park Service, volunteers from the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (N.E.S.T.) and Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (KBSTRRC), and with biologists from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Rehabilitated turtles from the N.C. Aquariums and KBSTRRC were released.
“The successful rescue, rehabilitation, and release of cold-stunned sea turtles in N.C. is possible only with the ongoing efforts of these partners,” said Matthew Godfrey, sea turtle biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
Included in the 107 sea turtles released were N.C.’s most common species: loggerhead, green, and Kemp’s ridley. Many turtles were brought to rehabilitation centers because of cold-stunning, which occurs when the water temperature drops quickly before the turtles can migrate to warmer water. This condition primarily affects juveniles of the species.
The release made room in the Aquarium facilities as they continue to rehabilitate cold-stunned turtles and expect that more may arrive. Currently, the Sea Turtle Assistance & Rehabilitation Center (STAR) at the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island is caring for 79 cold-stunned patients, the N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores has eight cold-stunned turtles, and N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher is caring for six.
Photo Credits: © North Carolina Aquariums
Edited by Sarah Gilsoul, a writer and communications program assistant at AZA.
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