With the approach of freezing temperatures this weekend along the Texas coast, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local partners are urging citizens to report any sea turtles seen on shorelines so that the turtles can be rescued, transported, and cared for by Service-permitted rehabilitation facilities.
Sea turtles cannot regulate their body temperature and at water temperatures below 50°F, they become immobilized. These “cold-stunned” turtles are found primarily along the inshore areas (canals, bays, estuaries, passes). They float to the surface and often wash ashore due to strong prevailing northwest winds. If not found and rescued quickly, they typically succumb due to exposure, predation, or boat collision injuries. In contrast, most found alive and brought to rehabilitation ultimately survive and are released.
The green sea turtle is the sea turtle species most frequently found stranded from cold-stunning in Texas. Green sea turtles were historically commercially exploited in Texas, but hypothermic (cold) stunning and overharvest decimated their numbers by the 1890s. After decades of conservation, the green turtle population has increased significantly in Texas.
Fortunately, if cold-stunned turtles are rescued quickly, they can be saved and released when temperatures increase. Cold stunned turtles are found by the public while they are recreating in these areas, as well as by agency employees and volunteers that conduct systematic searches during cold stunning events.
According to Dr. Donna Shaver, Texas Coordinator of the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, biologists and volunteers from more than a dozen organizations will work together to search for and rescue cold-stunned turtles over the coming days; however, more help is needed. “Cold stunned turtles do not all wash ashore at the same time, so searches of our vast Texas inshore waters must be searched repeatedly, and help from the public is critical. The longer cold-stunned turtles lay helpless on our shorelines, the less likely they will be alive when found or they will be strong enough to survive through rehabilitation to ultimate release" she said.
If you find a cold-stunned sea turtle, please immediately report it to the Texas Sea Turtle Hotline number at 1-866-TURTLE-5 (1-866-887-8535). Callers may also contact Padre Island National Seashore’s Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at 361-949-8173, ext. 226, or the after-hours number at 361-876-8462. Please call even if you think that the cold-stunned turtle is dead. At cold temperatures, the activity of these turtles can be so negligible that they may appear to be dead.
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