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Rescued Juvenile Sea Turtle Finds New Home 25th November, 2014 Source - For the first time, Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, welcomed a rescued and rehabilitated sea turtle to its collection of marine life. The juvenile Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta), weighing approximately 97 pounds, arrived on Nov. 19 from the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program. “All sea turtles in U.S. waters are protected by the Endangered Species Act due to significant threats such as entanglement in fishing gear, accidental ingestion of plastic and other marine debris, boat strikes, and loss of essential nesting habitat,” said Debbie Zmarzly, interim director of Birch Aquarium at Scripps. “This turtle is an important ambassador for ocean conservation. We hope its story will help compel more than 400,000 people who visit Birch Aquarium each year to protect the health of our oceans and the animals that call it home.” Click here to access the full story