Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center releases 12 endangered sea turtles at Cape Cod
The University of New England's Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center (MARC) released 12 endangered Kemp's ridley turtles on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010 at a beach in Osterville, Mass., on Cape Cod.
Three of the turtles are fitted with Vemco data telemetry transmitters that will let researchers monitor the turtles progress down the Atlantic seaboard. This release was in collaboration with the New England Aquarium, which also released six sea turtles as well.
The turtles, which suffered from cold stunning (hypothermia) when they were rescued on Cape Cod in fall 2009, were transported to MARC for rehabilitation in December from the New England Aquarium
After months of rehabilitation, they are now ready for release. The sea turtles are expected to remain nearby and feed on crabs for the remainder of the summer, and then ultimately make their way down south.
There are five species of sea turtles in the North Atlantic Ocean and all are on the Threatened or Endangered Species lists. Migratory animals, sea turtles are cold-blooded reptiles that often suffer extreme hypothermia when water temperatures drop in northern climes, like Cape Cod Bay.
When the warm water suddenly turns cold in the fall, the turtles often become stunned by the cold and float to the top of the water, washing up onto the beaches of Cape Cod. There they are rescued and transported to the New England Aquarium, which distributes them to rehabilitation centers across the country. Cold-stunned turtles may suffer from infections, emaciation, and frost bite as well as injuries from boat collisions.
The following turtles were released by MARC:
"Jewel Cave"
MARC 09-098 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date: 12/13/2009
Strand Date: 12/1/2009
Stranded At: Campground Beach, Eastham, Massachusetts
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Admit Weight: 3 lbs (1.50 kg)
Admit Length: 9 in (21.90 cm)
Reason for Rehabilitation:
Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
"Independence"
MARC 09-097 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date: 12/13/2009
Strand Date: 12/2/2009
Stranded At: Barnstable, Massachusetts
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Admit Weight: 5 lbs (2.35 kg)
Admit Length: 10 in (25.60 cm)
Reason for Rehabilitation:
Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
"Harper's Ferry"
MARC 09-096 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date: 12/13/2009
Strand Date: 12/2/2009
Stranded At: Barnstable, Massachusetts
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Admit Weight: 6 lbs (2.60 kg)
Admit Length: 11 in (27.10 cm)
Reason for Rehabilitation:
Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
"Dry Tortuga"
MARC 09-095 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date: 12/13/2009
Strand Date: 11/29/2009
Stranded At: Barnstable, Massachusetts
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Admit Weight: 4 lbs (1.90 kg)
Admit Length: 10 in (24.70 cm)
Reason for Rehabilitation:
Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
"Zion"
MARC 09-093 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date: 12/13/2009
Strand Date: 11/29/2009
Stranded At: Barnstable, Massachusetts
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Admit Weight: 6 lbs (2.50 kg)
Admit Length: 10 in (25.90 cm)
Reason for Rehabilitation:
Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
"Wrengall St. Elias"
MARC 09-091 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date: 12/13/2009
Strand Date: 11/29/2009
Stranded At: Barnstable, Massachusetts
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Admit Weight: 3 lbs (1.35 kg)
Admit Length: 8 in (20.70 cm)
Reason for Rehabilitation:
Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
"Voyageurs"
MARC 09-090 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date: 12/13/2009
Strand Date: 11/29/2009
Stranded At: Barnstable, Massachusetts
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Admit Weight: 5 lbs (2.40 kg)
Admit Length: 10 in (25.00 cm)
Reason for Rehabilitation:
Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
"Rocky Mountain"
MARC 09-087 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date: 12/11/2009
Strand Date: 11/29/2009
Stranded At: Barnstable, Massachusetts
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Admit Weight: 5 lbs (2.35 kg)
Admit Length: 10 in (24.40 cm)
Reason for Rehabilitation:
Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
"Haleakala"
MARC 09-086 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date: 11/26/2009
Strand Date: 12/11/2009
Stranded At: Sandy Neck Beach, Massachusetts
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Admit Weight: 4 lbs (1.70 kg)
Admit Length: 9 in (22.50 cm)
Reason for Rehabilitation:
Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
"Guadalupe"
MARC 09-085 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date: 12/11/2009
Strand Date: 11/26/2009
Stranded At: Barnstable, Massachusetts
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Admit Weight: 6 lbs (2.85 kg)
Admit Length: 10 in (26.50 cm)
Reason for Rehabilitation:
Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
"Danali"
MARC 09-084 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date: 12/11/2009
Strand Date: 11/24/2009
Stranded At: Sandy Neck, Barnstable, Massachusetts
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Admit Weight: 6 lbs (2.55 kg)
Admit Length: 10 in (26.50 cm)
Reason for Rehabilitation:
Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
"Bandeleir"
MARC 09-082 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date: 12/4/2009
Strand Date: 10/17/2009
Stranded At: Corporation Beach, Dennis, Massachusetts
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Admit Weight: 4 lbs (2.00 kg)
Admit Length: 9 in (23.10 cm)
Reason for Rehabilitation:
Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)