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BIDDEFORD, Maine

UNE's Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center releases 5 sea turtles

The University of New England's Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center April 28, 2009 released five rehabilitated sea turtles to the New England Aquarium, which will transport them to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center at Jekyll Island, Georgia where the animals will be released into the wild.

The one green sea and four Kemp's ridley  turtles were transported by the New England Aquarium to the University of New England in November 2008 for rehabilitation and treatment for cold-stunning (hypothermia).

Sea Turtles Background

There are five species of sea turtles in the North Atlantic Ocean and all are on the Threatened or Endangered Species lists. Migratory animals, sea turtles are cold-blooded reptiles that often suffer extreme hypothermia when water temperatures drop in northern climes, like Cape Cod Bay. Cold-stunned turtles are often found on the surface of the water floating listlessly and may suffer from infections, emaciation, and frost bite. They are also vulnerable to boat collisions. When the warm water suddenly turns cold in the fall, the turtles become stunned by the cold and float to the top of the water, washing up onto the beaches of Cape Cod. There they are rescued and transported to the New England Aquarium, which distributes them to rehabilitation centers across the country.

Hunting, fishing, development and pollution have seriously reduced sea turtle populations. Development in coastal areas have greatly reduced natural nesting habitats. Capture of adult turtles for eggs, meat, leather, and tortoise shell has decreased breeding populations. Incidental capture of adults in fishing nets and shrimp trawls has brought one species, the Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempi), right to the brink of extinction. For these reasons all species of sea turtle are protected under federal endangered and threatened species legislation.

The five sea turtles being released are:

"Denahi"
MARC 08-123 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date:  11/25/2008
Stranded at: Breakwater Beach, Barnstable, MA
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Release Weight: 20 lbs. (8.90 kg)
Release Length: 37.4 cm
Reason for Rehabilitation: Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
 
"Chiquita"
MARC 08-117 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys Kempii
Arrival Date: 11/25/2008
Stranded At: Cinnell Landing, Brewster, MA
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Release Weight: 8 lbs. (3.85 kg)
Release Length: 29.7 cm
Reason for Rehabilitation: Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
 
"Forest"
MARC 08-115 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date:  11/18/2008
Stranded at: First Encounter Beach, Eastham, MA
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Release Weight: 12 lbs. (5.30 kg)
Release Length: 31.7 cm
Reason for Rehabilitation:  Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
 
"Petunia"
MARC 08-114 Cm
Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Arrival Date:  11/18/2008
Stranded at:  Fisher Beach, Truro, MA
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Release Weight: 13 lbs. (5.75 kg)
Release Length: 34.9 cm
Reason for Rehabilitation:  Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)
 
"Yoshi"
MARC 08-112 Lk
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Arrival Date:  11/18/2008
Stranded at: Thumpertown Beach, Eastham, MA
Transferred from: New England Aquarium
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Release Weight: 8 lbs. (3.60kg)
Release Length: 28.3 cm
Reason for Rehabilitation: Recovering from Cold-Stunning (Hypothermia)

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.