Last week a major winter storm hit Texas, knocking out power and putting many at risk of freezing. Among the news of burst pipes and blackouts, you may have also heard about thousands of cold-stunned sea turtles being rescued. Today, I want to explain a little about what cold stunning is and how sea turtles are affected.
What is cold-stunning:
Cold-stunning is like hypothermia for sea turtles. When the water suddenly becomes too cold, less than ~10 degrees Celsius or ~50 degrees Fahrenheit, and the sea turtles are unable to get to warmer water, they become cold-stunned. Sea turtles are reptiles, so they rely on the temperature of the surrounding water to help keep their body temperature warm enough to be active. When the water temperature suddenly drops, their bodies become too cold.
What happens to cold-stunned sea turtles:
Like other reptiles, when their bodies become cold, the turtles lose energy. Cold-stunned sea turtles will slow down and become inactive. They will often float close to the surface, unable to eat or swim to warmer temperatures. Floating at the surface exposed to the air can make them even colder, making their cold-stunned state worse. Unable to move much, they can have trouble lifting their head to breathe and may drown, be eaten by predators, further injured or killed by boat strikes, or be carried by the wind and currents to the shore where they wash up on the beach.
Where does cold-stunning happen?
Cold-stunning events in America mostly happen along the U.S. Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico. These are areas the turtles migrate through to escape colder weather, feed, and breed. (It can also happen in Europe and any area with sea turtles that has a sudden drop in temperature to 10 degrees Celsius or less) Cold-stunning is also more likely to happen in shallower waters, where the temperature drops faster. If turtles can get to deeper water, they may be able to avoid cold-stunning somewhat since the deeper water is more insulated. But if temperatures drop too fast or stay low too long, they are unable to escape it.
What are the dangers to the population:
All sea turtle species are endangered and face many threats in the wild. The turtles and their eggs may be poached for food, the adults for their shells or meat, or they can become entangled in nets or other plastic debris. Sea turtles can take 10 years before they reach maturity and can start breeding and depending on the species, a female may lay hundreds of eggs in one breeding event. Cold-stunning is dangerous for wild populations because it can affect large numbers of sea turtles in one event. A loss of a large number of adult turtles due to cold-stunning can be a blow to the entire population as it will take longer for it to recover and continue to grow. If these turtles can be rescued and rehabilitated, there is a chance they will be able to breed and grow the population in the future.
Climate change connection:
It can be difficult to make a direct 1-to-1 connection between climate change and this one particular cold-stunning event, but scientists agree that climate change is driving more extreme weather events like the winter storm that hit Texas. Changing weather patterns and sudden extreme temperature changes can catch wild animal populations off guard, in the middle of their migration, or in areas that would normally be safe for them. This can interrupt their migration, feeding, or breeding and make it more difficult for them to survive.
How cold-stunned sea turtles are saved:
As you may have seen in the news, volunteers and concerned locals have been bringing in cold-stunned sea turtles for rehabilitation. People have found the turtles at sea and brought them in on their boats. Others have been checking the beaches and either called or driven them to rescue centers themselves. Once they are brought in, they are placed somewhere dry to prevent further heat loss. Then, they are gradually warmed up. They get a health check and if they are strong and healthy enough, they will be released back into the wild. Fortunately, many rescued sea turtles are being released back into the ocean now that temperatures have returned to normal.
What you can do to help:
If you are in a coastal area, you can check with local turtle rescue centers for guidance. These centers may be able to come out and pick up the turtles, but if there is a mass cold-stunning event they may need help from the public to bring them in. If this is the case, you can help pick up and drive the turtles to the rescue center. If you do this, DO NOT turn up the heat in your car. It would be best to have the heat off because the turtles need to be warmed slowly. If they are warmed up too much too fast you can shock their system.
If you are not in a coastal area, you can donate money to rescue organizations and help spread the word about what is happening.
The good news is, the weather has warmed up again and hundreds of sea turtles are already being released. However, there may still be turtles affected by cold-stunning on the coast, so rescue centers are still on the lookout to bring in any sick turtles.
