CAST Triage
Implementing Organization
State of Alabama
Overview
DWH Project Funding
$1,071,935
Known Leveraged Funding
$0
Funding Organization
Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees (NRDA)
Funding Program
Natural Resource Damage Assessment NRDA
Details
Project Category
Environmental
Project Actions
Species Restoration
Targeted Resources
Sea Turtles
Project Description
The Coastal Alabama Sea Turtle (CAST) Triage project will develop an appropriately equipped sea turtle triage center and provide partial program support for the initial triage, treatment, release, and/or transfer of injured or ill sea turtles. The facility will be merged into the Alabama Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (ASTSSN). The City of Orange Beach will provide the remaining operating costs. The project will allow more animals to be treated and released more quickly and with less stress on the animal from handling and long transports than is currently possible under existing ALSTSSN procedures. The site will be located on land owned by the City of Orange Beach adjacent to Cotton Bayou and within 2,000 feet of the beach. The building will be a basic 40-foot by 60-foot, wind-rated, commercial metal structure. Staff will educate the public about (1) human threats to sea turtles which lead to the need for treatment at the facility; (2) current science on how best to address these threats; and (3) best conservation practices for sea turtles in the wild. Educational materials will be coordinated with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Alabama Ecological Services Field Office, the ALSTSSN coordinator, and the Alabama State Biologist to create a consistent and unified message.
Contact
Amy Hunter(251) 621-1216
Amy.Hunter@dcnr.alabama.gov
Project Website
None
For official trustee information regarding the Deepwater Horizon NRDA, including information regarding the NRDA process and the status of projects, see https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/