The Sea Turtle Rescue Program at the South Carolina Aquarium has rescued some 150 cold-stunned sea turtles, among them critically endangered Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles, from frosty waters off the East Coast.

Cold stunning, also known as hypothermia, can reduce heart and respiration rates, decrease circulation and induce lethargy, all followed by shock, pneumonia and, in worst case scenarios, death.

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Sea turtles usually migrate to warmer waters during the fall season. But if they are unlucky enough to get caught in coastal waters when water temperatures drop, turtles experience hypothermia.

In this last cold stunning event, more than 150 sea turtles were found along the coastline of Massachusetts. Boston's New England Aquarium soon found itself with turtles suffering from hypothermia.

The South Carolina Aquarium took over and rescued 31 of the turtles. The 15 sea turtles were admitted to the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue directly. The 16 sea turtles left over were flown down to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. This group included 14 Kemp's Ridleys and one green turtle.

"All are being evaluated, with some in more serious condition than others. There will definitely be more coming here for treatment, and if this early batch is any indication, we will need more room and tanks to help them," explained Dr. Terry Norton, director and veterinarian at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, which also received 16 turtle patients.

The sea turtles will stay at the center from two to four weeks before being released into warmer waters off Florida.

The most affected sea creatures are Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles, the most endangered sea turtle species on the planet. The population of these turtles in the Gulf Coast shores of Texas and Mexico is gradually decreasing because of the BP oil spill that occurred in 2010.

TagsSea turtles, Kemp's ridley sea turtles, east coast, Hypothermia, Cold stunning, South Carolina Aquarium, animal extinction, endangered species