Cold-Stunning Can Kill Aquatic Wildlife: How Marylanders Can Help

MARYLAND — As winter temperatures start to set in, manatees and sea turtles can fall victim to cold-stunning, a condition that causes animals to become debilitated and suffer hypothermia-like symptoms due to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources asks those visiting the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic Coast to be vigilant of sea turtles who exhibit signs of c

Cold-stunning typically occurs in late autumn and early winter when water temperatures begin to fall or when temperatures drop rapidly in a 24-hour period. Lethargic and unresponsive animals can be a danger to themselves and potentially to boaters. Cold-stunning can ultimately be lethal to certain species.

Stranding Network members respond to thousands of cold-stunned sea turtles along the Atlantic Coast annually.

While this condition typically affects sea turtles, West Indian manatees are also susceptible and have occasionally been reported in Maryland during winter. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Response Program responded to a dead, cold-stunned manatee in late November 2016, which was found stranded at the Dundalk Marine Terminal.

Manatees are commonly found in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, but in recent years have been found in waters ranging from Massachusetts to Texas, including Maryland. Manatees will head north from Florida to graze on the Chesapeake Bay’s sea grasses, says a blog post by the National Aquarium. Warm summer months prompt the large animals to swim along the East Coast before returning to winter in Florida.

The beefy herbivore can range from 8 to 14 feet in length and can weigh from 440 to 1,300 pounds.

Anyone who sees a lethargic, floating, debilitated, or deceased sea turtle or marine mammal in Maryland waters or stranded onshore should maintain a safe distance and call the Maryland Natural Resources Police Hotline at 800-628-9944. The hotline is maintained 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, authorities said.

Marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and sea turtles are protected under the Endangered Species Act. The harassment, feeding, or collection of these species or their parts can result in fines, imprisonment, and/or the seizure of vessels and personal property.