CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Texas State Aquarium celebrated the holidays in a unique way in the Coastal Bend by rescuing sea turtles from succumbing to the cold, a press release stated.
When air and water temperatures drop below freezing, this can cause animals in shallow waters, like sea turtles, to become lethargic from the cold and drown. This is called cold-stunning and can be especially lethal to endangered sea turtle species.
According to the release, with a massive winter storm sweeping through the U.S., Texas State Aquarium knew that this cold-stunning event was bound to occur and by Dec. 20, had already started preparing to save as many turtles as possible.
“Saving endangered species is critical and a big part of the Aquarium’s mission,” Texas State Aquarium President and Chief Executive Officer Jesse Gilbert said. “We are doing our part to conserve and save as many (endangered species) as we can. Responding to the emergency and educating the community is a big part of it.”
The Texas State Aquarium prepared for the cold-stunning event by posting information on social media and
This year, Texas State Aquarium admitted 300 cold-stunned green sea turtles to their rehabilitation center for treatment. The turtles were treated for several days before being released back into the Gulf of Mexico, healthy and out of danger of being cold-stunned again.
With the latest cold-stunning event highlights the need for proper space for wildlife emergencies, and will be opening the Port of Corpus Christi Center for Wildlife Rescue in March 2023.
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