The Marine Animal Rescue Program team has been very active with
sea turtle rescues this year, and their work is not finished
just yet. In late October a new green sea turtle patient was
submitted to the MARP hospital. The turtle was found cold
stunned in New Jersey and transported to the National Aquarium
for rehabilitation. “Cold stunning” occurs when sea turtles are
exposed to prolonged cold water temperatures. Initial symptoms
can include a decreased heart rate, decreased circulation, and
lethargy, followed by shock, pneumonia and possibly death. Sea
turtles are cold-blooded reptiles that depend on external
sources of heat to determine their body temperature. In cold
water they do not have the ability to warm themselves, and must
instead migrate to warmer waters. Sea turtles are commonly found
in waters off the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S. during the
summer and early fall. They typically begin to migrate south by
late October. It is thought that animals foraging in shallow
bays and inlets become suscept