ECOWATCH • December 5, 2020
Hundreds of endangered sea turtles were stranded on beaches after suffering "cold stunning" in the waters off Cape Cod, Mass. Local rescuers and wildlife rehabilitators stabilized the turtles at the New England Aquarium and National Marine Life Center and began treatment. "Cold stunning" is a hypothermic reaction that occurs when sea turtles are exposed to cold water for a prolonged time. In the past decade, the Gulf of Maine has warmed 99 percent faster than the rest of the ocean. The warm water encourages turtles that migrate north along the Gulf Stream in warmer months to stay longer. Before ocean temperatures warmed, the waters of Maine were too cold for many of these sea turtles. Now, with warming sea surface temperatures, Maine can reach the high 70s to low 80s, which is "perfect turtle temperature." Turtles that fail to migrate south get stuck.