Grant: 21-017C
Project Title: C.A.R.E. Sea Turtle Hospital Digital Radiography
Project Manager: Rebecca Wells, DVM
Organization: Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Foundation (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $20,306.25
Completion Date: 2021-11-10

Summary: The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Foundation rehabilitates and releases stranded sea turtles along the Gulf Coast of Florida and eastern Alabama. The C.A.R.E. Foundation will purchase a digital radiography system to work with our existing x-ray generator and increase its portability. The original computed radiography (CR) system that is currently used was purchased in 2010 with fund provided by the Sea Turtle License Plate Grants Program and is beginning to fail and needs replacement. This purchase will ensure that we can continue to perform valuable diagnostic imaging and provide higher detailed assessments on all of the patients that come under our care. This purchase will also increase the efficiency and success of our sea turtle rehabilitation and release program and sea turtle conservation efforts.

Results: The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Foundation purchased the Konica Minolta Image Pilot Digital Radiography system. It was installed on June 24, 2021. Between then and October 5, 2021, the CARE Center performed diagnostic imaging exams on 30 sea turtle patients. This included 11 Kemp's ridleys, 12 loggerheads, and eight green turtles.