WHAT IS THE CENTRE?
Marine turtle rescue Centre was founded in 2006. and it is first centre of that kind in Croatia. It operates within "Aquarium Pula" and the association "Marine Educational Centre Pula". The criteria for the centre to be accepted by the Directorate for Nature Protection under the Ministry of Culture were, amongst others, existence of conditions for the care of turtles of various sizes and highly skilled professional staff, as well as previous success in this area.
Apart from the care and treatment of sea turtles, the centre activities include turtle tagging in the field and informing the local population, especially fisherman, who are commonly in contact with turtles, as part of their everyday job.

WHY THE CENTRE?
Sea turtles are one of the most endangered species, so they are protected by numerous national and international regulations. Since 1995 they are protected in Croatia by Protection of nature law (Official gazette 30/94 and 7/06) and by Regulation of protection of some species of reptiles (Official gazette 47/95). Despite the protection, the number of animals in the wild is diminishing, in the Adriatic as well as in the world seas in general. With all of that in mind and taking into consideration the ever growing human influence on the sea, it has become necessary to establish centres for turtle recovery.

CENTRE COOPERATES WITH?
Our Centre cooperates with Croatian natural history museum in Zagreb, “Blue world” Institute from Lošinj and “Anton Dohrn Naples” Zoo station from Italy.

OTHER CENTRES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
Italy: many centres were established; first centre was established in 1983 within the state institute “Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli Fondazione”; Cetacea Riccione Fondo Siciliano per la Natura (SWF); Comiso; Centro Recupero Fauna Selvatica -Isola di Lampedusa; Centro di recupero per le tartarughe marine di Linosa

Greece: center ARCHELON in Glyfadi-Atena was established in 1994 within a citizen group -Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece (STPS); Athens Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes

Spain: Marine Animal Rescue Centre (CRAM) Catalunya; Centro de Recuperación de fauna Salvaje de Valencia

Croatia: Marine Turtle Rescue Center Aquarium Pula

Libya: Marine Biology Research Centre (MBRC) Tajura

Israel: The Israeli Sea Turtle Rescue Centre.

Tunis: Station de Protection et de Soin des Tortues marines; Monastir

Arrival to the Centre

FACTS
Sea turtles, and among them the loggerhead sea turtle, mostly get caught in fishing nets. It is estimated that each year around six thousand turtles end up in fishing nets by accident in the whole Adriatic, and around two and a half thousands in the eastern part of the Adriatic.

HOW DO THEY GET HURT?
Turtles use lungs, not gills, in order to breath and they have to surface in order to get air. Intervals between two breaths in normal conditions are relatively long. But when a turtle gets trapped in a fishing net, it is no longer able to surface for air and is put under a lot of stress, and drowns. Accidental catch of turtles in fishing nets causes a higher percentage of death by comparison with trawler’s catch because fishing nets stay longer in the sea. On the other hand it is registered that 85% of all turtle catches fall on trawlers. The reason lies in the overlapping of trawler fishing areas with turtles’ feeding areas. Catch of sea turtles by trawl lines are also registered. In that case, if it is possible to remove the fishing hook by hand, turtle can be released back in the sea. If removal is not possible, in order to make later removal of the fishing hook more successful, it is necessary to cut fishing line around 10 centimetres from its beak. That way veterinarian can easily locate the spot on which the hook is attached.

DID IT DIE FOR SURE?
Sea turtles sometimes look like they are dead, but although it is not moving it does not mean that it is dead. Sea turtles are cold-blooded animals, which means that their body temperature conforms to the environment temperature. The only way to check whether the turtle is alive or dead is a reflex in the area of the anus and eyes. By slightly pinching these areas it is possible to determine whether the turtle is in need of immediate medical treatment, or is dead.

WHY DO TURTLES FLOAT?
Turtles begin to float only when they are sick: in the case of pneumonia, trauma, or chronic abdomen inflammation. Pneumonia occurs most of the time due to inhalation of the sea water when the turtle gets caught in nets. Gases, lighter than water, are then developing in its body, which prevent it from being able to dive again. Second cause of pneumonia is hypothermia of the turtle. In the winter months sea temperature in the north Adriatic can fall down to 8°C. The reason for the presence of sea turtles in the waters of north Adriatic is their search for food on the shallow bottom. In those cases, sickness is most probably in an advanced phase and it is necessary to get the sick turtle to the Centre. Turtles that have pneumonia are the most common “patients” of our Centre.
By swallowing solid waste, such as plastic bags or hooks from a long line (since turtles have poor eyesight and confuse our waste for food), gases are formed inside the digestive system that often cause an inflammation. Ailment due to the swallowing of hooks from a long line is the most common reason for turtle recovery in the Centre in Glyfada-Athens, Greece. For all these reasons, after it has been caught by fishermen’s tools i.e. nets or by trawl, it would be advisable to check the turtles health condition before its release back to the sea.

SEA TURTLE ON THE SHORE
It is a known fact that sea turtles do not nest on the Adriatic coast; therefore, each turtle on the shore is a sick turtle. They end up on our shore due to sea currents and waves. Due to the drying of the shell and the skin and also the inability to move, further injuries are occurring. These stranded turtles need our help.

EXTERNAL INJURIES
Although it looks like turtles are in least danger during the summer (water temperature is high, fishing drastically decreases), percentage of their injuring in some areas is even higher then. During the summer sea traffic significantly increases. While the turtle is on the surface and breathing, a hit from a propeller or the base of a powerboat and scooter can inflict serious injuries. This kind of injury is the most often injury of turtles arriving in Rescue Centre in Naples, Italy and in Glyfad-Athens, Greece.

AREA OF WORK OF THE CENTRE
Sea turtles found in the area of North Adriatic Sea and Kvarner (Istria, Rijeka surrounding, islands Cres and Lošinj) are coming mostly to our Centre. Associations “Blue world” from Veli Lošinj and Eco-Center “Caput insulea” from Beli, island Cres provide first aid for the turtles on the islands.

YOU CAN HELP SEA TURTLES TOO
If the sea turtle is found in an area further then mentioned above, your help is crucial. In order to prevent drying, it is necessary to cover the turtle with wet compresses- rags and if it is possible, put in a tub with a soft bottom (few towels or old rugs) in a dark space on room temperature., In arrangement with us, the turtle should be sent by first available transport to the Centre.

LONG MINUTES
If you have found a turtle stranded on the shore and you are waiting for a veterinarian or a worker from the Centre (which can take a while) it is necessary to:

• cover the shell and the skin of the turtle with a wet blanket to prevent drying
• cover the eyes to calm the turtle down
• be at an adequate distance and do not touch the turtle

Although it looks robust and very resistant, a turtle is very sensitive to pain and stress. Every stress elevates the amount of corticosterone which weakens the immune system and accelerates the development of infections.
Therefore it is necessary to provide adequate first aid as soon as possible.

FIRST AID AND ADAPTATION PERIOD
As soon as it arrives in the Centre the turtle is examined by a veterinarian and further treatment is determined. The animal is accommodated in a pool in which it gradually adapts. Sea water level depends on its state. If it is exhausted and cannot raise its head, than it is necessary just to wet it in a so called “shower tub”. Level of water is higher as the turtle is in better shape. In the winter period the temperature of sea water in the pool is increased by 2-3°C each day, so the optimal temperature of 22-24°C is reached within 3-4 days ...

HEALING
After set adaptation period (2-3 days), treatment process of the turtle can begin. Therapy is prescribed according to the protocol: antibiotics, vitamins, means for re-hydration (physiological solution) and antiparasitics. In most cases these treatments are sufficient enough. With the more difficult injuries, additional examination (taking blood specimen, X-ray) or surgery are needed.
Sea turtles are very sensitive to pain; therefore in the cases of severe external body injuries (mutilations and deep cuts) pain killers are given to the turtle.

DATA BASE
When they arrive in the Centre, each turtle gets its chart in which standard measures are written down (length and width of the shell, weight) and type of treatment. All body injuries are documented by photo and video shots. Type of species in the overgrowth on the shell and the turtle’s body are also written down. That way the data base of the Centre is formed, which helps spread further the knowledge about sea turtles, and in turn, better protection. Storing this data is of great importance for further studies.

BIOFOULING
Algae and barnacles are the most common overgrowth on the shell and the body of a sea turtle. Healthy turtle has very few, while a larger overgrowth (on beak, eyes, around the anus and on the whole body) is an indication that the turtle was poorly mobile for a longer period of time and is probably in a bad shape.

CLEANING OF THE SHELL AND THE BODY
After a significant improvement of the turtle’s health condition, cleaning follows. Algae, small crabs and dead scales are removed from the shell and the body. By removing dead scales it is possible to discover hidden wounds. Treating the wounds with iodine tincture prevents further infections.
If the injuries on the skin and shell are large, it is necessary to treat them with iodine on a daily basis.
If the skin and the shell are healthy, the turtle is taken out of the pool once a week for cleaning and to treat it with iodine tincture.

CLEANING OF THE “HOUSE”
Pools in which turtles are accommodated are cleaned every day of remains of food and faeces, after which they are disinfected. If the turtle’s injury is bigger, the pools have to be cleaned even more often. In winter months, when the sea temperature is low, we have the so called “closed water system” in the pools. In summer months, the system changes into the so called “open water system” and the turtles are given fresh water directly from the sea. In our Centre, pools are situated in a room with daylight, which is extremely important for the turtles production of vitamin C (crucial for shell hardness).

“LUNCH”
Young turtles diet consists of jellyfishes and zooplankton found in the water column, while older turtles are feeding on invertebrates from the bottom of the sea, holothurians, crabs, shells, etc. During their stay in the Centre, turtles are fed daily with sardines. That food is rich in proteins and all essential elements. Daily amount is around 5% of their body weight, so for example a turtle that weights around 30 kilos would be getting around 1, 5 kilos of sardines each day. In the case when the turtle has not eaten the whole meal, remains of the food have to be removed from the pool.

“FITNESS”
Longer stay in the pool inevitably leads to the decrease of the turtle’s muscle tonus. In order to increase muscle strength before the release back to the sea, it is necessary to accommodate the turtle in a bigger pool. It is also essential to feed it more. That way the released turtle will not be hungry and it will have more time for better adaptation and search for food.

TURTLE GOES “HOME”
Release of a turtle is a happy event for all of us. That event carries in itself a great responsibility. It is very important that each turtle is healthy, well nourished, and without external injuries before release. It has to be capable of orientating itself in the water and swimming normally. During the release the sea temperature cannot be below 18°C, therefore it is best to release it in the summer months, in a place with as little traffic as possible. It is also important to keep in mind the fishing intensity and the weather.

TAGGING
Tagging the animal is the last action that has to be done before the turtle is released. As a part of the Sea turtle protection program of the Zoological department of Croatian natural history museum, the Centre is tagging the turtle with tags which are placed on the back right and left flipper. Croatian tags are made of plastic; they are green with a unique number (e.g. HR001). By a harmless procedure each turtle gets an identification number and in case it gets caught in a fish net or is spotted in the sea, the address is imprinted on the tag, so the finder can inform the Centre of the catch. The aim of the tagging is to get information about their movement in the Adriatic Sea and in the whole Mediterranean, as well as to enrich our knowledge about the biology of these animals. It is desirable that every turtle catch is reported to the local authorities.

EVENT
Education is one of the main activities in modern aquariums and zoos. The aim of the education is the enrichment of knowledge of individuals and to raise awareness about the importance of animal species and the nature. Therefore on the day of the turtle release, the public is informed through media. The main actors are the turtles and the public has a first hand opportunity to find out everything about them. During their stay in the Centre, each turtle is given a name by its finder, and is fed and cleaned daily by the staff, examined by veterinarians, and observed by the public. Every healed turtle released back to the sea is a joyful, but also an emotion filled day.

INSTEAD OF CONCLUSION

From November 2002 “Aquarium Pula” is taking care of sea turtles within the Sea turtle protection program of the Zoological department of Croatian natural history museum. Marine Turtles Rescue Centre work got additional encouragement by the Decision of Ministry of culture of the Republic of Croatia in March 2006, by which the work on caring and keeping of sea turtles with an aim to return them in the wild is entrusted to the Aquarium.

Employees of the Centre presented their work on the international workshop in Athens in November 2004 (Workshop on the rehabilitation of injured sea turtles in the Mediterranean, Glyfada, Athens, 19-21 November 2004).

A veterinarian and a biologist from the Centre contributed to the workshop that took place in Naples in November of 2006., as part of a program for education on sea turtle recovery, organized by RAC/SPA, Zoological station Anton Dohrn and UNEP.

Employees of the Centre participated in a congress ( 3. Mediterranean conference on marine turtles) that took place in Tunisia in 2008, during which dr.sc. Milena Mičić and Karin Gobić Medica held a scientific lecture.

Centre has a data base of all turtles that were recovered in the Centre. Each recovered turtle gets its place on the wall of the Centre. Their photos and information testify the work of the Centre, and they also remind all of us on the vitality of these admirable creatures which allowed them to survive from the age of dinosaurs till the present time.

Therefore all of us should give them our support for their survival.

Coordinator of the Centre: Karin Gobić Medica, dipl. ing. biology