Sea turtle rehabilitation programs handle injured and sick turtles with welfare considerations throughout the capture, treatment, and release process.
Sea turtle rehabilitation welfare involves providing medical care for individual animals of species where each individual has high conservation value given population declines. The welfare of turtles in rehabilitation requires species-appropriate housing (adequate water depth, appropriate temperature management), appropriate nutrition, and minimal unnecessary handling. The release decision is critically welfare-relevant - premature release of inadequately recovered turtles worsens welfare compared to continued rehabilitation. Long-term monitoring after release provides welfare data that improves rehabilitation protocols for future patients.