MARATHON, Florida Keys -- A female juvenile green sea turtle, rehabilitated at the Florida Keys-based Turtle Hospital, was released from a Keys beach Friday after six months of life-saving medical treatment.

“Wow” was named by her rescuers after being found floating off the Keys in August 2024. She had a severe case of fibropapillomatosis, a deadly tumor-causing disease that affects sea turtles around the world and may be linked to ocean pollution. 

“’Wow’ was another turtle that I did not think was going to make it,” said Bette Zirkelbach, the Turtle Hospital's manager. “She was entangled in fishing line and covered in tumors, and really beat the odds.” 

“Wow,” whose unusual name stemmed from rescuers’ reaction upon spotting her, underwent a series of successful surgeries at the Turtle Hospital. The reptile received wound care and treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics, fluids, vitamins and a healthy diet of greens and mixed seafood. 

“She had multiple tumor removal surgeries, including losing an eye at the veterinary ophthalmologist’s from the tumors … it was touch and go whether or not she was going to get strong enough for release, and she ‘wowed’ us,” Zirkelbach said.

Now back in good health and swimming strongly, “Wow” was released into the Atlantic Ocean off Marathon’s Sombrero Beach as hundreds of spectators cheered and applauded. 

“This never gets old — returning a sea turtle to its ocean home, giving hope not just for sea turtles, but the future of our oceans,” said Zirkelbach said. “If we take care of our oceans, sea turtles can live upwards of 100 years.” 

 The Florida Keys’ Turtle Hospital has been rescuing, rehabilitating and returning sea turtles to the wild for over 35 years.

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KEY LARGO, Florida Keys – Florida Keys coral restoration groups and scientists from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary planted resilient, heat-resistant species of coral at Carysfort Reef Tuesday, commemorating the fifth anniversary of the sanctuary’s Mission: Iconic Reefs program.

The landmark program was established with the goal of strengthening and restoring seven iconic coral reef tracts in the Florida Keys. The bold undertaking encountered a major challenge due to a marine heat wave in the summer of 2023 that caused devastating mortality at many restoration groups’ in-water coral nurseries and areas of the Florida reef.

From that challenge, though, came hopeful discoveries regarding coral survival in the face of future climate change, researchers said, adding that coral reefs around the world are also confronted with such issues.

“They’re actually using genets, or clone lines, of coral that we know are resistant to heat stress,” said Dr. Katey Lesneski of the divers involved in the outplanting at Carysfort, located off Key Largo. “We’ve done a fantastic job across so many organizations of preserving genetic diversity which will be important in future outplanting efforts.”

Lesneski is the sanctuary’s Mission: Iconic Reefs research and monitoring coordinator. 

“So these individuals have been propagated from others that survived the heat stress event in 2023, whether out on the reef or in ocean-based nurseries,” Lesneski said, referring to the infant corals. “So we have a lot of confidence that the corals that are being returned to the reef today will continue to do well even in future warming conditions.”

The three organizations that aided in outplanting the young corals included Coral Restoration Foundation, Mote Marine Laboratory and Reef Renewal USA.

In the future, sanctuary officials hope to bring in more coral restoration organizations and research partners with additional concepts about how build upon information learned to date, according to Lesneski.

For more than 20 years, organizations in the Florida Keys have pioneered breakthrough efforts to restore coral.

“Florida’s coral reef provides billions of dollars in revenue annually,” Lesneski said. “And if we want generations in the future to enjoy these same benefits, we have to continue to do this work and preserve this very important resource.”

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