It has been a bitter cold weekend down here for Keys residents, including the marine life. With air temperatures hovering at 39F this morning and icy north winds howling in over Florida Bay (wind chill of 28F - yes, we can have a windchill factor here too!) water temps in the Bay have been only 45F. It's just not supposed to get this cold at 24 degrees north latitude!
We've seen hundreds of grunts and snappers, dozens of burrfish, boxfish, bonefish, and groupers (including reds, blacks, & Nassaus) dead and dying in the rack along our seawall. Our display animals have not fared well either. With no way to warm the large 122,000 gallon flow-through Shallows (waters temperatures down to 44F) we lost our bonnethead shark, both tarpon, the bonefish, numerous snapper and jacks. We have heaters in our above-ground tanks for our spiny lobsters, slipper lobsters, assorted crabs and mollusks, and the mantis shrimp. But with the wind whipping around the tanks, water temps are only hovering at 57F. Needless to say, the invertebrates are still very sluggish but hanging on! KML staff have been patrolling the seawall searching for any potential survivors. We have numerous burrfish, boxfish and a queen angel slowly reviving in the warming tanks.
Cold-stunned sea turtles have floated in to KML shores on the north winds. Wagons have been handy for moving the large turtles, like this big Loggerhead....
...and some, like this little Hawksbill, are small enough to just carry....
....in to the office to warm up....
.... until FWC Sea Turtle Stranding Co-ordinator, Sue Schaf could transport them to the Marathon Turtle Hospital. So far, KML has rescued 4 Loggerheads, 3 Hawksbills, and a Green turtle but we expect more will float by in the next few days before the waters warm up. Air temperatures are expected to be in the 70's by week's end and Bay temps should slowly improve too, allowing for the release of the rescued animals.
Adult female Loggerhead 230 lbs - largest rescued turtle received at the Turtle Hospital so far this week
We've seen hundreds of grunts and snappers, dozens of burrfish, boxfish, bonefish, and groupers (including reds, blacks, & Nassaus) dead and dying in the rack along our seawall. Our display animals have not fared well either. With no way to warm the large 122,000 gallon flow-through Shallows (waters temperatures down to 44F) we lost our bonnethead shark, both tarpon, the bonefish, numerous snapper and jacks. We have heaters in our above-ground tanks for our spiny lobsters, slipper lobsters, assorted crabs and mollusks, and the mantis shrimp. But with the wind whipping around the tanks, water temps are only hovering at 57F. Needless to say, the invertebrates are still very sluggish but hanging on! KML staff have been patrolling the seawall searching for any potential survivors. We have numerous burrfish, boxfish and a queen angel slowly reviving in the warming tanks.
Cold-stunned sea turtles have floated in to KML shores on the north winds. Wagons have been handy for moving the large turtles, like this big Loggerhead....
...and some, like this little Hawksbill, are small enough to just carry....
....in to the office to warm up....
.... until FWC Sea Turtle Stranding Co-ordinator, Sue Schaf could transport them to the Marathon Turtle Hospital. So far, KML has rescued 4 Loggerheads, 3 Hawksbills, and a Green turtle but we expect more will float by in the next few days before the waters warm up. Air temperatures are expected to be in the 70's by week's end and Bay temps should slowly improve too, allowing for the release of the rescued animals.
Adult female Loggerhead 230 lbs - largest rescued turtle received at the Turtle Hospital so far this week
2 comments:
That's sad! I wonder if there might be a way to heat up some of the deep round tanks? I can't believe how cold it's been. Bay temps in the 10-12 degrees C range...BRRRRRRR. Makes me think back to that day I worked on the intake pipe, and that was just around 15C! Hope you haven't had to get in the water too much!
What an amazing looking creature! You are very priveleged to have worked with this animal as Im sure you realise.
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