The animals were struggling to swim and eat in the cold waters
Several sea turtles are dead after scientists discovered them stunned cold on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, on Monday.
The North Carolina State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology ( CMAST ) initially took in 109 sea turtles from Cape Lookout – a barrier island at the southern point of the Outer Banks.
The animals were cold-stunned which means they were struggling to swim and eat, according to a Facebook post from the Cape Lookout National Seashore .
“Unfortunately, only 36 [sea turtles] survived,” CMAST shared on social media . “Deceased turtles will be necropsied and used for research. Surviving turtles are being examined and treated at CMAST.”
When sea turtles encounter a quick change in water temperature, they can become cold-stunned. This issue is especially prevalent around the Outer Banks, where the warm Gulf Stream waters are adjacent to cooler ocean currents. Even when migrating to warmer waters during winter, sea turtles remain at risk of exposure to perilously cold temperatures.