Grant: 15-003C
Project Title: Improving the Capacity to Care for Injured Sea Turtles
Project Manager: Cypress Rudloe
Organization: Gulf Specimen Marine Lab (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $10,550.00
Completion Date: 2016-10-24
Summary: The Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory will renovate an existing small kitchen space into a 10X15 dedicated sea turtle hospital space with ambient air temperature control and adequate space to care for large sea turtles. The existing space used to receive and recover sea turtles is a 4X4 enclosure also used as a microscope room. A new partnership with the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida for the Responsible Pier Initiative is anticipated to increase the number of referrals of hooked or entangled sea turtles to GSML and to the Shepherd Springs Animal Hospital where Dr. Norman Griggs, GSML veterinarian, specializes in sea turtle rehabilitation. The new space will greatly improve our ability to receive and care for sea turtles recovering from injury, cold shock, or surgery. The renovation is expected to be completed by the end of July, 2015. A dedication of the new Sea Turtle Hospital at GSML will kick off a multi-media plan to promote the Sea Turtle License Plate Fund, the Responsible Pier Initiative, and GSML conservation strategies to the public, donors, agency leaders, and foundations.
Results: Construction of the project is complete. Equipment purchased and installed included cabinets and a large window air conditioner, new French doors, and tiled countertops. Construction of the veterinary table was also completed.