ATLANTA — The sea turtles are out to sea for their winter migration but the cold temperatures are causing some issues with them getting home to nest.
Due to the temperature drops, some sea turtles experience what’s known as cold-stunning, which can make them weak and inactive and could even be deadly.
The Georgia Aquarium is doing its part to help some of the critters recover from the shell-shock of the cold. The aquarium said they’d taken in eight loggerhead sea turtles that were rescued by the New England Aquarium for rehabilitation after experiencing cold-stunning.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, cold-stunning for sea turtles is when turtles get lethargic after swimming in water 50 degrees or colder. Eventually, the temperature makes them essentially freeze up and they float to the surface of the water.
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Once they float to the surface, NOAA said the turtles can end up washed ashore by tides or wind and can develop health problems, or even die. The agency said hundreds to thousands of turtles can be affected by cold-stunning events.
NOAA says cold-stunning mainly happens in shallow bays or lagoons where temperatures in the water fall quickly.
According to the aquarium, the turtles needed a temporary home after being stranded from the cold-stunning and were brought to Atlanta by Turtles Fly Too with help of NOAA.
Still, the Georgia Aquarium said more turtles are still being stranded along the East Coast this winter season, leaving the endangered and threatened species at risk from the cold.
Anyone who sees a sick, injured or stranded sea turtle is urged to immediately contact their local standing network, which can be found here.
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