Rare sea turtles receive life-saving care at Institute for Marine Mammal Studies

Rare sea turtles receive life-saving care at Institute for Marine Mammal Studies

- they're a critically endangered- species, and- loners by nature, so it's not - everyday you see a cluster of - kemp's ridley sea turtles, much- less 20 of them all in one spot- but in this follow up to a stor- we first brought you- yesterday, news 25's toni miles- takes us to the insititute for- marine mammal studies, one of - two south mississippi - locations - where these rare se- turtles have landed for - life-saving care.

- - by air, land and sea... - workers with the institute for- marine mammal studies in- gulfport have had their hands - full the past week - releasing- two rehabbed sea turtles just - south of horn island last - thursday-and now it's all hands- on deck on this, the- "morning after," imms took in - 20 rare kemp's ridley sea - turtles flown in from - massachussetts after running- into not hot water but - dangerously cold water while- migrating south.- <msu student: "69.5.">- imms has some extra help gaugin- things, though, thanks- to these students and residents- from mississippi state- university's veterinary school- who made a special trip to- help out... - they won't walk away empty- - handed either...- alexis thompson, second year- population medicine resident, - mississippi - state university college of - veterinary medicine: "sea - turtles are not a normal- species we see at mississippi - state.

We're a little further - away from waters, so- this is a great experience for- students to get hands-on- learning with - sea turtles as well as other- wildlife we might not see in- other portions of the - country."

- toni miles, news 25: "and once- these turtles are rehabbed, - - - - they'll also be released in the- warm waters of the mississippi- sound."

- theresa madrigal, stranding - coordinator, institute for- marine mammal studies: "it's- definitely going to take a- couple of weeks to possibly a - few months.

These - animals are coming in pretty- critically sick.

They do- stabilize them before they fly- them- down here from new england, but- their treatment plans can be- ongoing.

They can - develop secondary infections- like pneumonia, so we'll be - - - - watching out for those things."- hopefully all 20 of these - turtles will eventually make- their way - into the warmer waters of the - mississippi sound where imms- researchers released magnolia - the green sea turtle- and toni the kemp's ridley- turtle last thursday...accor- ding to their sattelite tracker- - they've gone- their separate ways - but are - both providing invaluable data.- dr. moby solangi, president,- institute for marine mammal - studies: "the satellite - keeps on sending a message each- time they take a breath.

They - show their- movement and migration patterns- the mississippi sound and - adjacent waters,- they are impacted by the bonnet- carre, by hurricanes and so man- other factors.- - - - we want these animals to tell u- a story instead of us having to- guestimate."- in gulfport, toni miles, news - 25.