Sea turtle stranding responders, working under the guidance of
the Wildlife Branch Unit of the Unified Command, which includes
several NOAA experts, are responding to dead and live sea turtle
strandings and offshore teams are searching for and rescuing
oiled sea turtles from the area affected by the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill . All the live oiled turtles are cleaned of
oil and are being treated and cared for at one of four primarily
de-oiling centers across the northern Gulf of Mexico or at
secondary rehabilitation facilities once they are stabilized.
NOAA experts are examining turtles that have stranded in the
area affected by the oil spill to determine, if possible,
whether their deaths can be linked to oil, or another cause. All
of the turtles are being sampled externally for oil and tissue
samples are being taken during necropsy when the condition of
the carcass is sufficiently fresh. The majority of the turtles
recovered as strandings have not had external oil. In contrast,
the vast majority of turtles