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 Jan. 21, but only 36 survived, the center said in a social media post last week.
After the surviving turtles are treated at the center, they will complete their rehabilitation at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail before being released back into their natural habitat, the center said.
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.