Grant: 22-036C
Project Title: Strengthening Sea Turtle Rehabilitation: Building a Permanent Outdoor Facility to Improve Immunity, Enhance Recovery, and Capacity for Sea Turtles with Fibropapillomatosis
Project Manager: John Holloway
Organization: Friends of Gumbo Limbo (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $22,445.00
Completion Date:
Summary: While advances in FP surgery have given sea turtles a post-surgery survival rate of over 90%, research suggests that improving immune function and restoring a sea turtle’s vitamin D levels using sunlight can strengthen and enhance individual rehabilitation to help spur population recovery. To improve immunity, enhance recovery, and strengthen capacity for sea turtles suffering from FP, through this project the Friends of Gumbo Limbo (FoGL) will support the creation of a permanent outdoor sea turtle rehabilitation facility at Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex (GLEC). The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Facility at GLEC is currently one of the few FP treatment centers in Southeast Florida, admitting FP cases transferred from areas across Florida for treatment. The incidence and severity of sea turtles with FP has become markedly worse in the past 6 months, making the need for this project critical. The newly constructed outdoor facility will be adequately constructed following guidelines according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Marine Turtle Conservation Handbook. Match funding will be sought by FoGL with a myriad of current philanthropic, corporate, and major donors to fully realize the vision of this project
Results: