A green sea turtle is improving after being found stranded on a North Carolina beach with over 1 ½ pounds of barnacles and other organisms on its shell, seashore officials announced over the weekend.
Someone found the juvenile female green sea turtle on April 15 at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and reported it to the stranding hotline, the seashore’s officials said online on May 18.
The seashore’s resource management team reported to the scene and took the turtle to the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (STAR) Center at the North Carolina Aquarium of Roanoke Island.
The rehab team examined the turtle and started to clean her up, seashore officials said.
“She was found with a heavy load of epibiota, including barnacles, algae, and other sea creatures,” according to the officials.
When she was first rescued, she weighed over 7 ½ pounds. Once animal experts cleaned the organisms off, her weight went down to just over 6 pounds.
“That’s over 1.5 pounds of epibiota removed,” the seashore officials said.
What are epibiota organisms?
Epibiota are organisms that live on other creatures, researchers from the University of Florida wrote in a 2023 blog post.
Types of epibiota include:
Epiphytes – Plants that grow on other creatures. Examples include barnacles and Spanish moss.
Epizoids – Animals that grow on other creatures. Examples include barnacles growing on turtle shells or a whale.
Some epibiota are microscopic, the researchers said.
While some epibiota, such as barnacles and algae, can be harmless, others can be harmful to marine life, according to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. When too many organisms get stuck to a turtle’s shell, it can make it harder for the turtle to travel and swim, and lead to infections, the center said.
Where is the sea turtle now?
Now that the organisms have been removed, the sea turtle’s improving.
“Safe in the hands of the aquarium, the green turtle was already looking much more active and on the way to recovery,” seashore officials said.
She has been nicknamed Confetti and is doing well, said a spokesperson for the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island on May 22. Confetti is eating, although she’s still thin. For now, she’ll stay with experts at the STAR Center for weight gain and more medical management, the spokesperson said.
According to the seashore, those who see wildlife in need of help can call its hotline at (252) 216-6892.
This story has been updated to add information.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sea turtle found stranded with over 1 ½ pounds of organisms on shell
