As a result of daytime temperatures plummeting into the 50-degree range last week, hundreds of green sea turtles are being rescued from the colder-than-usual waters off Florida’s East Coast.

This week alone, in collaboration with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission and other partners, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital team took in 22 cold-stunned juvenile green turtles that they're currently nursing back to good health.

Green sea turtles are protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act and Florida’s Endangered and Threatened Species Rule. They face significant threats, including habitat destruction, a warming planet, accidental bycatch in commercial fisheries—and, this year, extremely cold weather due that experts say could be due to climate change.

Cold-stunning occurs when turtles become lethargic due to rapidly dropping water temperatures. As ectothermic, or “cold-blooded,” animals, sea turtles cannot regulate their body temperature internally and rely on their environment to stay warm. When water temperatures drop too quickly, turtles can go into a hypothermic-like state where their body functions slow dramatically. Cold-stunned turtles often appear lifeless, floating at the water’s surface or onshore, leaving them vulnerable to predators, boat strikes, and complications such as pneumonia, infection and frostbite. 

The affected turtles were initially brought to The Sea Turtle Hospital at the University of Florida Whitney Laboratory in St. Augustine for triage, then distributed among multiple rehabilitation centers for further treatment, including Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital.

Upon arrival at Mote, the turtles undergo thorough health assessments and given themed names to help staff track and remember them in the years to come. (This year, the theme is birds, with names including Owl, Raven, Bluejay, Finch, and Crow.) The sea turtle rehabilitation team then develops individualized treatment plans based on each turtle’s condition, and the turtles are slowly warmed, with their tank water temperature increasing by approximately 3–4 degrees per day until it reaches the optimal range of 79-80 degrees. Each turtle is closely monitored to ensure it can lift its heads above the water to breathe properly and regain full use of its flippers. (If a turtle cannot breathe on its own, it is dry-docked while it regains strength.)

During their stay, the turtles are fed a complex diet consisting of capelin, squid, shrimp, lettuce and seagrass. Supportive care—including fluid therapy, antibiotics if needed, and careful observation—typically results in a successful recovery, allowing the turtles to return to the wild.

Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital had been closed for four months following the back-to-back hurricanes in late 2024. Severe water and wind damage forced extensive rebuilding efforts, including tearing out walls, replacing pumps and installing new appliances like refrigerators and washing machines. The hospital was scheduled to reopen on Monday, Feb. 3, but when FWC reached out for assistance, Mote’s team mobilized to provide emergency care for the turtles.

The last major cold-stunning event that impacted the entire state of Florida was in 2010, when more than 5,000 sea turtles were stranded. Once fully recovered, the green turtles will be released back along Florida’s East Coast. 

To follow the turtles' rehabilitation progress, visit mote.org/hospital.