Cold-stunning, also known as hypothermic stunning, is a hypothermic reaction experienced by

marine reptile Marine reptiles are reptiles which have become secondarily adapted for an aquatic or semiaquatic life in a marine environment. Only about 100 of the 12,000 extant reptile species and subspecies are classed as marine reptiles, including mari ...

s, notably

sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerh ...

s, when exposed to cold water for prolonged periods, which causes them to become weak and inactive. Cold-stunned sea turtles may float to the surface and be further exposed to cold temperatures, which can cause them to drown. A water temperature threshold of 8–10 °C has been associated with mass turtle stunning events. After cold-stunning has taken place, there is only a very short period of time when sea turtles can be safely rescued. One study indicates that

ocean warming Ocean heat content (OHC) or ocean heat uptake (OHU) is the energy absorbed and stored by oceans, and is thus an important indicator of Climate change, global warming. Ocean heat content is calculated by measuring ocean temperature at many differe ...

has led to an increase in cold-stunning events in the northwest Atlantic.

Notable instances

In 2016, 1,700 turtles were cold-stunned in North Carolina, following "an unusually temperate fall and early winter". In 2021, nearly 5,000 cold-stunned turtles were rescued in Texas during a winter storm. It has been called the largest cold-stunning event to be documented in the state.

References

Animal physiology Animal welfare Thermoregulation {{Animal-physiology-stub

Notable instances

See also

References