Loggerhead turtle being treated at UNE's Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center
A loggerhead sea turtle, rescued from the beaches of Cape Cod, is being rehabilitated at the University of New England's Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center (MARC).
The turtle, known as Akela (MARC-08-121-Cc), is one of two loggerheads, a threatened species, that were transferred to UNE's facility in November and December 2008 from the New England Aquarium in Boston where they were taken after being stranded and rescued.
The two loggerheads joined eight Kemp's ridley turtles, two green sea turtles, and a hybrid turtle that were transported earlier in November 2008 from the New England Aquarium for rehabilitation at MARC.
In January, the second loggerhead known as MARC-08-125-Cc was transferred to the Virginia Aquarium to ease turtle overcrowding at MARC.
Akela was rescued at Saint's Landing, Brewster, Mass., and arrived at MARC on Nov. 25, weighing 45 pounds. It is recovering from 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.