Grant: 24-035C
Project Title: Necropsy Room Renovations for Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Project Manager: Kerry McNally
Organization: Clearwater Marine Aquarium (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $25,915.00
Completion Date: 2025-05-28
Summary: Necropsies are important to understand the anatomy, health, and disease of sea turtles. Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) has performed 231 necropsies on sea turtles since 2018. The status of equipment such as the necropsy table and doors is in poor condition. Overall, the current necropsy room has limitations that require improvement. The project will allow CMA to purchase a necropsy table to help improve the standards, efficiency, and safety of necropsies conducted on sea turtles at CMA.
Results: The newly installed table is C-shaped and measures 48" x 84", providing more surface area compared to our previous table (36" x 84"). Additionally, the upgraded table features a hydraulic lift system that can lower the surface to 15" and raise it up to 48" - a capability that was not available with our former setup. This hydraulic function has greatly improved the safety and ergonomics for our animal health teams, especially when working with large adult sea turtles. The table was utilized within 10 days of delivery for an adult sea turtle necropsy. From the time of delivery to the date of this report, CMA has performed necropsies on 1 adult, 2 subadults, and 22 juvenile turtles on this table. This marks a notable increase of 20 more necropsies during the same timeframe in 2024. The improved size and functionality of the table have allowed for more efficient procedures. On seven separate occasions, multiple necropsies were performed simultaneously, with at least two turtles being examined at once. This capability significantly enhances our capacity during periods of high stranding events.