LEWES, Del. (AP) — Dead turtles washing ashore along the mid-Atlantic coast have scientists looking for answers.
State and federal officials who track sea turtle populations say dead turtles have been found from New Jersey to Virginia. An unusually high amount of dead turtles was found in Virginia in May.
Suzanne Thurman, the head of Delaware's Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute, says onshore winds might be bringing in dead and dying turtles that would otherwise stay at sea.
Kate Sampson, a turtle researcher with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told The News Journal of Wilmington that a warmer than usual winter may also be a factor. Sampson says stranding coordinators from Maine to Virginia plan to meet next week to discuss the issue.
