New Sea Turtle Hospital

h o SP i T alSEa TurTlE

Melissa Rosales-Rodriguez

Animal Health Keeper Aide Zoo Miami is embarking on its newest conservation effort helping some familiar faces here in our own backyard - sea turtles! Our facility is slated to open in 2022 and we couldn’t be more excited.

Why build a Sea Turtle Hospital?

Florida’s waters are important for many species of sea turtles in all life stages. In Florida you can find loggerhead, green, Kemp’s ridley, hawksbill, and even leatherback sea turtles! Unfortunately, hundreds of animals are found with injuries and illnesses each year. Before the opening of our Sea Turtle Hospital, any turtles found off the Miami-Dade County coastline would be transported to either Marathon’s Sea Tur tle Hospital or to Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Ratón. Having a facility in-county will allow injured, ill, or otherwise imperiled turtles to quickly receive medical attention.

What sorts of patients will we see?

The patients we will see may have suffered a boat strike, survived a predator’s attack, become tangled or hooked in fishing line, eaten plastic, or may be cold-stunned. Our experienced staff and dedicated volunteers will work tirelessly to provide our patients with the best care, food, and medical attention needed to nurse the turtles back to health, and ideally, return them to the ocean.

Our Sea Turtle Hospital will be able to treat patients with the fibropapilloma virus (FP). This virus causes benign tumors to grow all over sea turtles bodies. Our Sea Turtle Hospital will be one of a few facilities that can accept turtles with this contagious disease. Some FP-positive turtles might be candidates for surgery, in which case our veterinary staff will remove the tum ors and rehabilitate the individuals until they can be released back into the wild.

Why should we conserve sea turtles?

All sea turtles are “keystone species”. This means that they play a pivotal role in the environment and influence other species around them. If a keystone species is removed from a habitat their ecosystems become disrupted. This has a domino effect impacting other wildlife and the environment. One way sea turtles help keep their ecosystems balanced is with their amazing population control. Leatherbacks help maintain the number of jellyfish in the ocean, whereas hawksbills help reefs by eating sponges that compete with corals for resources.

Did you know that green turtles eat seagrasses which helps keep seagrass beds healthy?

Healthy seagrass beds store carbon and act as nurseries for many species from seahorses to manatees. Sea turtles help their ecosystems in surprising ways. For example, sea turtle nests help beaches. The eggs that don’t survive provide an important source of nutrients for coastal vegetation that is vital in preventing beach erosion.

What can I do to help?

All sea turtle species are currently considered threatened or endangered. With some small changes, you can make a difference as we work to bring them back from the brink of extinction. The best ways to help sea turtles and other imperiled species is by volunteering at your local beach, park, or roadside cleanups. Consider replacing single-use plastics like straws, shopping bags, and water bottles with reusable ones to reduce marine pollution. You can also contribute to organizations who provide educational programs to help spread ocean conservation awareness.

Found a sea turtle that needs help?

Call FWC’s 24-hour Wildlife Alert Number: 1-888-404-3922.

Zoo MiaMi’s sea TurTle HospiTal sponsored In parT by ZMF MeMbers and donors