Abstract
Sea turtle migrations to the North Atlantic have been well documented and seem to be an annual event for four species, including the fragile L. kempii (Lazell 1980; Morreale et al., 1992; Evans et al., 1997). The turtles migrate into the shallow coastal areas during the late summer for foraging purposes (Lutcavage and Musick 1985). As winter approaches, water temperatures drop below those tolerated by sea turtles (Witherington and Ehrhart 1989). In captivity, sea turtles have been reported to suffer from cold-stunning, or extreme hypothermia, at temperatures below 9 degree C (Schwartz 1978). Each year in the Northeastern United States, cold-stunned sea turtles are found on the shoreline. If rescue and rehabilitation measures are taken immediately, the turtles can be treated with success. This paper reports stranding data from 1993-1997 in the Northeast United States.