Grant: 21-013C
Project Title: Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Endoscopic Equipment
Project Manager: Bette Zirkelbach
Organization: Hidden Harbor Marine Environmental Project (The Turtle Hospital) (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $28,170.42
Completion Date: 2022-05-05
Summary: The Turtle Hospital will purchase a 2.8 MM Flexible Videoscope Equipment to provide our veterinarians with a tool to treat small juvenile sea turtles in rehabilitation at the Turtle Hospital. The Turtle Hospital has been rehabilitating sea turtles for over 34 years. The Turtle Hospital receives an average of 100 sea turtles annually for treatment. The Turtle Hospital has leading sea turtle veterinarians and is known for its expertise in performing various procedures with both flexible and rigid endoscopy on sea turtles. The Turtle Hospital has an outdated small flexible scope that does not allow for air or water to flush and insufflation and does not allow for biopsy and surgical tools. The Turtle Hospital has a 7.8 MM flexible videoscope that allows for water for flushing, air for insufflation and specialized tools to take biopsies, surgical removal of masses, and removal of necrotic tissue. This scope has been used on many occasions to save sea turtles’ lives. This 7.8 MM scope is too large for small juvenile sea turtles that the Turtle hospital regularly admits to the hospital for rehabilitation. A 2.8 MM flexible videoscope equipment will give veterinarians at the Turtle Hospital a critical tool to help save small juvenile sea turtle’s lives.
Results: The Turtle Hospital purchased 2.8 MM Flexible Videoscope Equipment. All of the equipment was received and put into use in late March 2022. The Turtle Hospital's veterinary team has used the scope on numerous occasions in medical procedures to rehabilitate sea turtles.