Sea Turtle Necropsy Season Has Begun

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Dead loggerhead turtle ready for examination. 

Sea Turtle Necropsies - January 18, 2014


Bob Prescott leading the first necropsy on a loggerhead turtle. 

The start of our sea turtle necropsies is upon us. Under the leadership of Bob Prescott, Director of Mass Audubon at Wellfleet Bay, NECWA staff met down at WHOI to start our sea turtle necropsy season.

Dead Kemp's ridley sea turtle ready for examination.

The set-up. 

Bob Prescott, Director of Mass Audubon,
 measuring the loggerhead. 

WBWS volunteer Karen taking photos for documentation. 

The carcasses that we are examining are cold-stunned animals that washed up on Cape Cod beaches this previous fall and early winter. For these events, NECWA is assisting staff and volunteers from Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (WBWS), Mass Audubon.

Recording information in the data sheet. 

WBWS staff member Michael and
NECWA staff member Tammy mastering Access. 

Under the direction of Bob Prescott, Director, all cold-stunned sea turtles that washed up dead on Cape Cod beaches will be examined and data collected will be provided to collaborating organizations, including State and Federal organizations. Bob and his team spent hundreds of hours walking beaches this fall and early winter in an attempt to rescue cold-stunned sea turtles that washed ashore. The individuals that we are examining are those that washed up dead, unfortunately.

NECWA staff members
Tiffany and Tammy looking on. 

NECWA staff members Carly and Tiffany inputting data.


NECWA staff members Krill, Tammy, Leah, Tiffany and Carly will be working alongside our interns as we assist Mass Audubon with this work. Later this season, students from Bridgewater State University will also be joining us for additional sea turtle examinations.

NECWA staff Tiffany and intern Chris looking on. 

WBWS volunteers Mary and Barbara
 assisting WBWS staff member Ron.

This work will help us better understand the biology and ecology of sea turtles in our New England waters. And these events are great learning opportunities in the field of marine science for our staff and interns. Participating in these types of events is only one way to get hands-on experience and these types of opportunities is what NECWA is all about.

Bob leading the first necropsy on the loggerhead turtle. 

Bob and WBWS volunteer Janet examining loggerhead. 

Please understand that we would greatly prefer studying live animals offshore. But the information obtained from examinations of carcasses provides important biological information that can be used to protect the living animals that remain.

Learning from the Master.

WBWS staff member James ready for anything!

New England Aquarium staff member
 Erin examining carcasses for parasites. 

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