The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience
We are excited to announce that we will release Asparagus on Tuesday, July 20 at 12 p.m. at the beach side of River to Sea Preserve Boardwalk (Marineland Beach) in the town of Marineland, Florida. Prior to release, Asparagus will be fitted with a satellite tag from a partnership between the Sea Turtle Conservancy and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources!
Asparagus is a large juvenile green turtle that stranded on Flagler Beach March 10. She is currently our largest patient in the hospital. Asparagus had a thin body condition on arrival with 95% of carapace (shell) covered in epibiota (barnacles, brown algae, and green algae). During her initial examination, she showed moderate to severe pneumonia and Fibropapilloma (FP) tumors on her right eye, neck, front flippers, and both lower flipper regions. After weeks of intensive fluid therapy with vitamin supplements and a combination of antibiotics, her bloodwork and pneumonia started to improve.
Asparagus was then well enough to transport off site to Precision Imaging Center for CT scan. CT results showed her pneumonia was resolved and no signs of internal lesions. Asparagus had three FP tumor removal surgeries and did well in rehab. Asparagus is now tumor free and ready to go home!
If you plan to attend the release, we recommend that you arrive early and also bring water, sunscreen and a hat. To make a gift to help us care for sick and injured sea turtles just click below. See you on Tuesday for the release of Asparagus!