Scores of sea turtles stunned by cold temperatures along the North Carolina coast have died, officials said.
The North Carolina State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology took in 109 cold-stunned sea turtles from Cape Lookout on Sunday, but only 36 survived, the center said in a social media post this week.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore said more than 100 cold-stunned sea turtles were also found in recent days along the shoreline between Bodie Island and Ocracoke.
Most of the turtles were taken to the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island’s Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation center, officials said in a in a social media post.
The wind carries the lethargic turtles to the shorelines, which are monitored in cold weather by volunteers and seashore biologists.
Persons:
Karen Beasley, Christian Legner, Legner
Organizations:
North Carolina State University Center for Marine Sciences, Technology, North Carolina, Rehabilitation, Cape, North Carolina Aquarium, Assistance
Locations:
North Carolina, Cape Lookout, Pine Knoll Shores, Topsail, Cape Hatteras, Bodie, Roanoke