Why thousands of turtles were paralyzed off the coast of Texas this week

This week, thousands of sea turtles were paralyzed in the frigid waters along the Texas coastline during the unprecedented winter storm that swept across the country. In response, a small army of volunteers, many of them without power and running water, sprang into action to rescue these endangered creatures. So what caused these sea turtles to freeze up? As temperatures plunged, the typically warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico dropped. For sea turtles, such drops can be very risky. As water temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the turtles' heartbeats slow considerably; effectively paralyzing them. Cold-stunned turtles lose their ability to swim and float to the surface. https://www.livescience.com/sea-turtles-paralyzed-winter-storm.html ....................................................................... #earth #science #nature #animals #news