On November 27th, NYMRC received a report through the NYS 24-Hour Hotline regarding a stranded sea turtle near Sebonac inlet in Southampton, NY. This individual was the second cold stunned sea turtle to strand this season, but the first Kemp’s ridley! Did you know more than 50% of sea turtles that strand due to cold stunning are the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley? This is why it is so crucial for organizations like NYMRC to help these animals and provide a second chance. 🐢 Since admit, this Kemp’s ridley has improved tremendously. Currently, the animal is eating well and enjoying its own tank within our rescue center. Due to this positive improvement we figured it was time we name this little turtle. Please meet Birch! 🌳 We still have plenty of animals in-house that are in need of names. This season we are naming our patients after plants, trees and flowers. 🌿🌲🌺What do you think we should name the next turtle? #coldstunnedseaturtles #kempsridleyseaturtle #newyork #longisland #southampton #seaturtlerescue #seaturtlerehab #criticallyendangered #saveseaturtles #seaturtleconservation

To help with your mid-week blues we have a #turtlethursday update!! This week, NYMRC received an additional group of cold stunned sea turtles from our network partners @newenglandaquarium. This transport was comprised of the largest species of sea turtle susceptible to cold stunning within the Greater Atlantic Region, the loggerhead sea turtle. Each year, NYMRC is able to take in these large turtles due to the size of our facility and in-house tanks available. Unfortunately, loggerhead sea turtles do not enjoy company during their rehabilitation process and benefit from individual tanks. NYMRC is able to accommodate these large turtles and provide them with the space they prefer. These turtles were flown from Massachusetts to New York by @turtlesfly2 earlier this week and transported to NYMRC in our newly UPDATED vehicle!! With these new additions, NYMRC is up to 31 sea turtles in-house! These cases are a mix between turtles that stranded in New York or Massachusetts. Just during the 2021 cold stun season, more than 500 sea turtles have stranded from Massachusetts-Virginia and the season is not over yet! If you come across a cold stunned sea turtle please call the NYS 24-hour hotline at 632-369-9829. With your help we can protect and save these endangered species! #coldstunnedseaturtles #loggerhead #seaturtlerehab #seaturtlerescue #nymrc #newenglandaquarium #massaudubonwellfleetbay #turtlesflytoo #nmlc #longislandbeaches #massachusetts #newyork

We interrupt your Sunday Funday with a little #patientupdate! This week we have some excited news regarding our current in-house sea turtle patients. Over the last few weeks, NYMRC has been kept very busy with incoming sea turtle patients! In total, the rescue team has responded to 11 sea turtles so far this cold stun season. More than 50% of these cases were represented by the most critically endangered species the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (1st picture). We also have two loggerhead sea turtles in house (2nd picture) and one Atlantic green sea turtle! These animals have been found by NYMRC’s cold stun patrolling team as well as the avid beach walkers and reported through the NYS 24 hour hotline. In addition to the turtles that have stranded in NY, NYMRC also admitted another 16 sea turtles that stranded this season in Massachusetts and were rescued by @massaudubonwellfleetbay and triaged by both @newenglandaquarium and @nationalmarinelifecenter. These turtles were flown from MA to NY by our friends @turtlesfly2 and organized by @noaafisheries New England/mid-Atlantic. Currently in-house, NYMRC is caring for all three species of sea turtles susceptible to cold stunning which includes Kemp’s ridleys, greens and loggerheads. These turtles range from 1.8 kgs to nearly 20 kgs! Stay tuned as we provide additional updates on these newly admitted patients and remember if you find a sea turtle please call the NYS 24 Hour Hotline 631-369-9829! #seaturtlerescue #coldstunnedseaturtles #seaturtle #seaturtles #marineconservation #marinebiology #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #wildliferehab #nonprofit #nonprofitorganization

To wrap up our Fall intern appreciation posts, here is Lory’s #internhighlight Lory was an invaluable member of our rescue team. Thank you for all the time and hard work you devoted to us! Here is what Lory had to say about her internship: “Being at the rescue center was an unexpected gift. I saw them when I frequented the Long Island Aquarium when I was younger, but did not understand the hard work and dedication the rescue team puts forth every day. My most memorable moments were watching Bowie, the non-releasable male gray seal, grow and develop more of his personality. Due to his genetic eye condition, Bowie has limited vision and was not a candidate for release. As Bowie has grown he also started to become comfortable with the rescue team and found a special place in our hearts.” If you are interested in interning with us, check out www.nymarinerescue.org for more information! #internappreciation #internship #marinescience #volunteer #seaturtle #seaturtles #wildliferehab #wildliferehabilitation

Here is today's #internhighlight featuring Sarah, a very enthusiastic worker! Thank you for your time and efforts. Here are her thoughts on her internship experience with us: "Hi! My name is Sarah and I am a senior at Stony Brook University ( @stonybrooku ) majoring in Marine Vertebrate Biology. I loved my internship with the NY Marine Rescue Center, it was so much fun getting to learn about rescue, response, and rehabilitation! My favorite part of the internship was assisting with stranding response for cold stunned sea turtles and making a difference in these wonderful animals’ lives! It’s been such an eye opening experience and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work with both the animals and the incredible, hardworking staff." #internship #intern #internappreciation #longisland #marinebiology #marineconservation #wildlifeconservation #seaturtle

Continuing our wrap up of Fall interns, here is another #internhighlight Sam has been a very dedicated, hard working team member and we would like to thank her for her time! Here are her thoughts on her experience: "Hey I'm Sam Aplin and I am a junior at Stony Brook University ( @stonybrooku ) pursuing my Bachelor's degree in Marine Vertebrate Biology, on the pre-vet track. I have dreamed of working with marine animals since I was in 5th grade, and the NYMRC made that dream come true. I loved working at the NYMRC because it is such a rewarding experience being able to give the animals that come in a second chance at life. My favorite case I worked on was Queen, a 388-pound female loggerhead sea turtle. I will never forget the first time climbing into the cetacean tank to help hold her while she received her medicine. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have been an intern at the NYMRC!" #ocean #marineconservation #seaturtles #marinemammals #intern #internappreciation

Tend Coffee, located in Shirley, is partnering with the NYMRC and will be donating a percentage of proceeds from their Grass Puppy Blend coffee through January 31st. Get your bag today and don't forget to pickup a few extra bags to gift this holiday season.

As our Fall interns complete their time with us, we would like to thank them for their hard work and feature them in an #internhighlight post. Meet Ariel who has been an integral member of the team. Here are her thoughts on her internship experience with NY Marine Rescue Center: “My name is Ariel! I’m a Marine Vertebrate Biology major at Stony Brook University ( @stonybrooku )where I will graduating this semester. One of my favorite moments interning with NYMRC would have to be caring for the lovely Queen who was rescued from my hometown of Bellport. It was really special to be able to help care for the largest hard shelled sea turtle the NYMRC has ever rehabbed. I am grateful to have had this internship opportunity and will miss being a part of a great team!”

As you know, our team has been very busy with incoming cold stunned sea turtles, and we wanted to take a moment and provide a #patientupdate! On November 30th, one of our Level II Cold Stun Patrollers found a small green sea turtle stranded on Towd Beach in Southampton, NY. He immediately called NYMRC to notify the rescue team, moved the animal above the high tide line, and covered it with dry seaweed to protect it from the harsh winds. These important steps helped save this sea turtle who was in critical condition. In addition, this patroller was given an “I Found a Turtle" card which comes with a beautiful wooden sea turtle pin and a free pint @ubergeekbrewing !!!! Upon admit, this tiny turtle had an internal temperature of .7°C and had very weak to nonexistent responses during the in-house assessment. Over the course of the next 5 days, the team slowly raised the internal temperature and provided fluid therapy. Well, after almost a week at NYMRC, we are happy to announce that this little green is getting stronger every day. It was even recently moved to one of our larger sea turtle holding tanks for long-term rehabilitation. Each year we pick a new naming theme, and this year we have picked trees, plants, and flowers (botanical) which means we must give this new patient a name. So please meet Petunia, the green sea turtle! #coldstunseaturtle #greenseaturtle #NYMRC #seaturtlerescue #seaturtlerehab #longislandbeaches #southampton #craftbeer #ubergeek

Happy 1st of December! Did you know it’s good luck to say rabbit rabbit 🐇 on the 1st of every month? Well here at NYMRC we like to say turtle turtle 🐢 😅….. Yesterday our team responded to not 1 but 4 cold stunned sea turtles. Though this was not an abnormal day for NYMRC, it was still unique for all 3 species of sea turtles known to cold stun in our area were admitted yesterday. To date, NYMRC has responded to 7 sea turtles this season which consist of 3 Kemp’s ridleys, 2 greens and 2 loggerheads. The season is far from over so please remember to call the NYS 24 Hour Hotline 631-369-9829 if you see any sea turtle on the beach. These animals may appear deceased but in fact are still a live and it is so critical that they receive immediate medical attention to ensure their survival. Stay tuned for upcoming #patientupdates as we admit more cold stunned sea turtles! #coldstunnedseaturtles #kempsridley #greenseaturtle #loggerhead #seaturtlerescue #seaturtlerehab #nymrc #longisland #longislandbeaches

It's the most wonderful time of the week! Happy Monday and cheers to an all new interview of Sippin' Teas and Talkin' Seas. CEO and founder of the Eco Maniac Company retail store, Christina Trapani is joining us to share her incredible journey of marine debris research, animal care, and her advocacy for change in the laws regarding balloon releases in the state of Virginia! - and she's got some great gift ideas to show us just in time for the holiday season! Christina holds many important titles including the Director of the Virginia Plastic Pollution, Field Coordinator of the Virginia Balloon Monitoring Project, Program Manager of the Keep it Beachy Clean Litter Prevention Program, and a partner of ours through the Mid Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan! Her schedule is tight, but she is devoted to making a difference and spreading awareness through education along the way! She has been collecting balloon debris and analyzing data for many years and as of 2020 her efforts helped pave the way to have a law passed in the state of Virginia that prohibits any release of a balloon unless it can disintegrate within 5 minutes! Christina works tirelessly to promote the preservation of our marine ecosystems and has built a successful brand along the way. We go over small changes to our every day that will decrease the use of single use plastics starting with the 4 R's (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) and always having a conversation-starting item when attending a social event, like a glass straw, or a cloth tote that can hold up to 40 lbs! We had an awesome time with Christina and cannot wait to see what does next! In the mean time, check out her websitewww.ecomaniaccompany.com . As well as her upcoming webinar on how to reuse https://www.facebook.com/events/203305345284421  register at https://virginiaplasticpollutionpreventionnetwork.wildapricot.org/event-4561924 and get your holiday orders in on her Fair Trade, eco friendly products for the whole family!! #NYMRC #sippinteasandtalkinseas #ecofriendly #fairtrade #virginia #midatlantic #partner #advocate #beachyclean #REFUSE #REDUCE #REUSE #RECYCLE #marinedebris #research @eco_maniac_company

Happy Thanksgiving!⁠ ⁠ The NYMRC Board of Directors and Staff wish you and your family a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.⁠ ⁠ During this season of giving, the NYMRC is asking for your support. #GivingTuesday is 5 days away. Please consider supporting the NYMRC and our mission to preserve and protect the marine environment through conservation efforts including rescue, rehabilitation, education and research this #GivingTuesday. Funds raised will directly impact the three endangered sea turtle species we rescue during the cold stun season. Every late fall, sea turtles strand throughout New York beaches due to cold stunning, a phenomenon similar to hypothermia. These cold-blood species are exposed to decrease water temperatures causing them to become buoyant and listless at the water’s surface. NYMRC responds to the second highest amount of cold stunned sea turtles within the Greater Atlantic Region. Stranding numbers of these critical animals are increasing on a yearly basis throughout the region. Your support will directly impact the care and survival of these endangered species. ⁠ ⁠ #grateful #happythanksgiving #nymrc #seaturtles #thankful