Best practices in sea turtle rehabilitation and welfare considerations during medical care and release.
Sea turtle rehabilitation involves prolonged welfare management of animals that are adapted to vast ocean environments. The stress of captivity, handling, and medical treatment is unavoidable in rehabilitation, but can be minimized through appropriate tank environments, reduced unnecessary contact, and fast-tracking to release once medically appropriate. Rehabilitation welfare includes consideration of what constitutes a realistic outcome — not all turtles admitted to rehabilitation should be treated for prolonged periods if the prognosis is poor. Quality of life assessment and willingness to use humane endpoints reflects a welfare-mature approach to sea turtle rehabilitation.