Padre Island National Seashore's Tom Backof holds a rehabilitated sea turtle before releasing it
Padre Island National Seashore's Tom Backof holds a rehabilitated sea turtle before releasing it
Florida sea turtles weren't the only ones impacted by last week's cold snap.

In Texas, more than 2,000 turtles were cold stunned, which breaks all state records. Many of the turtles have been brought to Texas A&M University in addition to NOAA Fisheries Galveston Laboratory Sea Turtle Hospital.

While the situation is more dramatic in Texas, the Panhandle is experiencing its second largest cold stun event. More than 850 cold-stunned turtles have been taken in for treatment at Gulf World Marine Institute after temperatures dropped in the bays.


"When the water temperature gets below 50 degrees, their bodies will basically shutdown," said Dr. Christopher Marshall, professor of marine biology at Texas A&M- Galveston. "The cold-stress and hypothermia can lead to pneumonia and other serious health issues. If they are not rescued, most will likely die."

The majority of the sea turtles at Gulf World are in good health, according to reports. Depending on the weather, they will likely be able to be released into the Gulf in the near future.