Greater Good Charities transports more than 100 cold-stunned sea turtles from the Aquarium to the South for critical care

Boston, Mass. (November 24, 2025) – Greater Good Charities, a global nonprofit, in collaboration with the New England Aquarium, is responding to plummeting ocean temperatures in New England that have sea turtles in urgent need of medical care to recover. In the last week, Greater Good Charities has transported 126 cold-stunned sea turtles that were stabilized at the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital from Bedford, Mass., to Beaufort, N.C., Gulfport, Miss., and New Orleans, La., where they will continue treatment and rehabilitation support at several facilities before their release back into the ocean.

**PHOTOS AVAILABLE HERE WITH CREDIT TO GREATER GOOD CHARITIES**

“Protecting sea turtles is more than safeguarding a single species. It’s about supporting the health of entire ecosystems,” said Liz Baker, CEO for Greater Good Charities. “Sea turtles play a vital role in maintaining balance in our oceans and along our coasts. Their grazing keeps seagrass beds healthy, their nesting supports coastal vegetation, and their feeding habits help regulate species like jellyfish. When we protect sea turtles, we’re protecting something much bigger, our beaches, oceans, mangroves, and our planet.”

Each year, sea turtles migrate between colder and warmer waters along the East Coast. As ocean temperatures rise, turtles are expanding their range farther north in the summer and staying longer, making it less likely they will be able to reach southern waters in time for fall. This puts them at risk of experiencing cold-stunning if water temperatures drop too quickly below 50 degrees. Cold-stunning causes extreme lethargy that affects their circulation, organ functions, and immune system. Without intervention, it can be fatal.

The New England Aquarium partners with nonprofits and government agencies to rescue and rehabilitate hundreds of stranded sea turtles each year. While the most seriously ill turtles will remain long-term at the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, Mass., to receive specialized care for chronic medical conditions, stabilized turtles are transferred to partner organizations to continue rehabilitation and make room for new arrivals at the Aquarium’s facility.

“The New England Aquarium has an incredibly dedicated team of biologists, veterinarians, interns, and volunteers that provides life-saving care for hundreds of sea turtles every year—but we cannot do this conservation work alone. The collaborative rescue network and ongoing transports by ground and air enable us to return as many turtles as possible to the ocean where they belong,” said Adam Kennedy, Director of Rescue and Rehabilitation at the Aquarium.

On Nov. 19, Greater Good Charities flew 35 turtles to North Carolina followed by another 91 turtles on Nov. 24 to Mississippi and Louisiana. The sea turtles were quickly unloaded and transported in vehicles from the airports to Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores,  Mississippi Aquarium, the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, and Audubon Nature Institute. While at the facilities, the sea turtles will receive rehabilitative treatment with the ultimate goal of being returned to warm ocean waters.

All sea turtles transported via Greater Good Charities are done so in compliance with the USDA interstate regulations.

MEDIA CONTACT: Pam Bechtold Snyder—617-686-5068; psnyder@neaq.org