During the recent cold stun event, our team at the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab worked around the clock to help hundreds of sea turtles in crisis — and thanks to an incredible collaborative effort, it was a wonderful success. 

We were able to triage, warm, rehabilitate, and release so many cold-stunned turtles back into deeper, warmer waters because of the tremendous support from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and our many dedicated partners. With mobile MASH units, equipment, and additional manpower, together we made an enormous impact for Florida’s sea turtles.

However, this event also made one thing abundantly clear: our region urgently needs a larger, permanent sea turtle hospital.

While most of our cold-stun patients were able to recover and be released, two special turtles — Bolognese and Cannoli — required longer-term care and are now official rehab patients at our facility. They are stable and improving, but their cases highlight the growing need for expanded space, equipment, and capacity to treat sea turtles right here at home.

Your adoption will allow us to respond faster, treat more turtles on-site, and provide the long-term care patients like Bolognese and Cannoli deserve.

We cannot do this without our community. If you’ve ever attended a turtle release, visited the aquarium, or simply care about protecting Florida’s marine life, now is the time to help.

Together, we can build a stronger future for sea turtles.