Grant: 20-037C
Project Title: Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Surgery Suite
Project Manager: Rebecca Wells and Terra Throgmorton
Organization: Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Foundation (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $7,858.27
Completion Date: 2021-04-16
Summary: The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Foundation will purchase surgery suite equipment including a stainless-steel table, a dual head surgical light, a stainless-steel utility cart, and a controlled drug lockbox. We perform numerous surgeries on sea turtles annually and a new table will provide us the capability for raising, lowering, and tilting the table to position our patients to optimally reach our surgery sites. This is especially important with intracoelomic surgeries. A dual head surgery light will allow us to illuminate these difficult sites such as within the surgical opening of the prefemoral fossa and assist us in intubation and examination of the oral cavity and proximal esophagus. A utility cart will hold important equipment such as the ECG for anesthetic monitoring, surgical warmer, and the new endoscope equipment. We are required to have a controlled drug lockbox that can house our controlled drug anesthetic and pain medications. These purchases will increase the efficiency and success of our sea turtle rehabilitation and release program and sea turtle conservation efforts.
Results: The grant was completed with all equipment being purchased. Equipment will improve the care of sea turtles at our facility.