Unusually cold weather challenges sea life

This New Year rang in with the coldest days of winter. Many days temperatures were dipping below freezing.

The water temperature along the Texas Gulf Coast became cold enough that sea turtles were “cold-stunned,” meaning that the body temperature of the sea turtle lowered creating a near paralysis for the cold-blooded animal. They became immobile, unable to swim against the strong currents, washed to the water’s edge.

On the morning of Jan. 3, two Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation community recreation employees found dozens of “cold-stunned” sea turtles along the base’s Sunfish Beach and seawall entrapped among the jagged rocks.

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