Rehabilitated Sea Turtles Returned to Gulf of Mexico
The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport released four endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles Monday to their Gulf habitat. The turtles were rescued earlier this summer during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and underwent an extensive rehabilitation process at the Gulfport facility.
The Kemp’s Ridley is the most endangered species of sea turtle in the world. The species usually nests at only two locations within the Gulf of Mexico.
“IMMS typically receives one to three live sea turtles a year, but this year we’ve rescued and rehabilitated over 40 sea turtles,” said Dr. Connie Chevis, a veterinarian with IMMS.
The turtles released Monday were hooked by Mississippi fishermen during a period that saw higher numbers of the species locally than usual. According to Dr. Moby Solangi, President and Director of the Institute, the Mississippi Sound did not see oil for several weeks following the incident and many turtle species migrated closer to Mississippi shores to escape the oil impacts closer to the Deepwater Horizon oil rig site.
The release Monday was attended by Dr. Bill Walker, Executive Director of the Department of Marine Resources; Trudy Fisher, Director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and Mississippi First Lady Marsha Barbour. The IMMS also works closely with NOAA fisheries, US Fish and Wildlife, and Unified Command.
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