The number of cold-stunned sea turtles washing up on Cape Cod has drastically increased in the last 20 years, due to the warming of New England waters trapping the reptiles in the area. The New England Aquarium in Quincy, Massachusetts, is currently treating over 200 young turtles, a number that is expected to rise to at least 400. These sea turtles, mostly critically endangered Kemp’s ridley turtles, are facing serious ailments such as pneumonia, dehydration, and sepsis.
The increase in strandings is attributed to climate change, which alters the migratory patterns of the turtles and makes them more susceptible to cold-stunning events once they reach the Northwest Atlantic. Despite the challenges, the aquarium’s turtle hospital has a success rate of around 80% in rehabilitating and releasing the animals back into the wild.
Efforts are ongoing to not only rescue and rehabilitate these endangered turtles but also to address the underlying environmental factors that are contributing to their increased strandings. As global warming continues to impact marine life, the need for conservation efforts to protect these vulnerable species becomes more urgent.
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Photo credit www.boston.com
