Grant: 18-038C
Project Title: Endoscopic Equipment to Improve Diagnostics at the Turtle Hospital
Project Manager: Bette Zirkelbach
Organization: Hidden Harbor Marine Environmental Project (The Turtle Hospital) (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $16,786.45
Completion Date: 2018-11-26

Summary: The Turtle Hospital has been rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing sea turtles for over 30 years and is one of only a handful of facilities in Florida treating sea turtles with Fibropapillomatosis (FP). The Turtle Hospital historically has admitted and treated more sea turtle patients with FP than any other facility. FP affects over 50% of the green sea turtle population in and around the Florida Keys. In addition to juvenile greens with FP, the Turtle Hospital receives and treats sub-adult and adult loggerhead patients, sub-adult and adult greens, some hawksbills and Kemps Ridleys. The Turtle Hospital admits 70-200 new sea turtle patients a year. This project will allow The Turtle Hospital to purchase a new 7.9 MM x 140 CM Storz Endoscope with adapters for current light source, insufflation/suction pump and accessories to enhance an ageing, limited unit currently at the hospital. This new scope will work with the existing Storz equipment (light source, monitor and recorder) currently at the hospital. The scope is made for use in the GI tract and can be moved 4 directions, rather than just the 2 directions our current scope moves. The new scope will allow air and water to be put through it to distend the GI tract and has better image quality. This new, more versatile endoscope with improved image quality will advance the Turtle Hospital diagnostic capabilities.

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