“Cold Stunning” is a hypothermia-like condition which occurs in sea turtles when in water 55°F or below. This occurs in New York State between October and January each year. Due to climate change, the change between summer and winter ocean temperatures is becoming increasingly dramatic, coupled with the difficult geography of Long Island and its forks has lead to an increase in cold stun strandings throughout New York. Scroll down below for a video explanation of this condition!

This condition renders sea turtles weak and listless, at mercy of winds and tides. This is a deadly condition which can be made even more deadly by external threats such as predation, boat strikes, entanglement and marine debris ingestion. 

In 2024, NYMRC saw a historic cold stun season, with over 150 cold stun sea turtle responses, and a record number of responses in a 24-hour period, at 18 sea turtle strandings. These numbers alone demonstrate the critical nature of this condition. We need your help to respond to these animals as soon as possible!