New England Aquarium Cape Cod Release 2015
A project of New England Aquarium in conjunction with the partners and sponsors detailed below.
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| Name | Species | Life Stage | Release Date | Last Location | Days Transmitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Eider | Kemp's Ridley | Juvenile | 2015-08-05 | 2015-09-02 | 28 |
| Snowy Owl | Loggerhead | Juvenile | 2015-08-05 | 2016-10-27 | 449 |
| White Crowned Sparrow | Kemp's Ridley | Juvenile | 2015-08-05 | 2016-01-05 | 153 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Kemp's Ridley | Juvenile | 2015-08-05 | 2016-03-09 | 217 |
Click on an animal's name for maps and more information.
Introduction
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The New England Aquarium (NEAq) has been rehabilitating stranded sea turtles for more than twenty-five years. The majority of sea turtles that are treated at NEAq come from annual cold stun stranding events on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. Each fall and winter, juvenile and sub-adult sea turtles strand on Cape Cod beaches after experiencing cold-stunning. Cold stunning, or hypothermia, in sea turtles is thought to occur when the water temperature quickly drops below 50 degrees F (10 degrees C). Sudden cooling of ocean water temperatures leaves the turtles torpid and floating at the surface, unable to swim or dive, and allows them to be tossed by strong sustained storm winds onto the windward shore. Since the 1980s, NEAq has worked with the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary to save these threatened and endangered species.
The Aquarium has accomplished significant advancements to the field of veterinary medicine through our sea turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Program. Our achievements include a long list of publications in peer review journals and specialized training in reptile medicine for veterinarians around the United States and the globe. Over 80% of the cold stunned sea turtles admitted into our hospital are successfully rehabilitated and released back into the wild.
The four turtles released as part of this project were among 733 turtles that came to the New England Aquarium rehabilitation facility this past fall/winter season - it marked a record breaking cold stun sea turtle event for New England!
For more in formation on the New England Aquarium Rescue Program please visit: http://rescue.neaq.org/
Project Partners
The Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary's sea turtle research and rescue efforts over the past 25+ years have made significant contributions to the conservation of endangered and threatened sea turtles. More than 100 volunteers assist Mass Audubon scientists and field staff with the sea turtle project. For more information, visit www.massaudubon.org/wellfleet.
