Endangered sea turtles receive care at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine

Sawyer, an adult male Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, whom of which is the smallest and most endangered sea turtle species in the world, and Alfonzo, a subadult green sea turtle, were brought to Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine (MSU CVM) for CT scans after being rescued by the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) stranding team in Gulfport.

“IMMS recovered the turtles, and our veterinary clinicians have been providing all of their medical support,” said Debra Moore, DVM, assistant clinical professor at MSU CVM’s Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security.¹

Alfonzo was found in November 2025 in Alabama with a fishing hook embedded in one of his flippers; radiographs later revealed that additional hooks were lodged in his gastrointestinal tract. Upon arrival at MSU, the team performed a full triage, and radiographs taken on the coast determined Alfonzo had 3 more hooks in his intestinal tract. They were monitoring the intestinal hooks to see whether they were moving or stuck, and unfortunately, they were lodged.

Advanced CT imaging available at MSU allowed his team to locate the hooks and guided the next steps in his care.

Sawyer was found floating in the Mississippi Sound and was rescued after the rescuers had noticed that he had lost most of a front flipper. However, additional medical issues soon were discovered.

“He has pulmonary bullae and lung disease due to a significant bacterial infection and additional parasites living in his bronchi,” said Moore, who has worked with sea turtles for 35 years.¹ “We’ve been treating him with injectable and oral antibiotics.”

The turtles will both continue to receive care at Gulfport and are expected to require extended treatment and medical decisions, all of which will be guided by their ongoing clinical process. The pair will also return to MSU CVM as needed for surgical procedures or any required additional imaging.

“We do as much as we can on the coast,” Moore said. “But if a surgical option or another treatment requires equipment we have here at [MSU], we’ll bring them back.”

In July 2024, MSU CVM also provided care to Toast Malone, another Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, after an endoscopy revealed a fishhook in his stomach, which was removed by the MSU CVM team.² Toast Malone had received treatment at MSU 2 times prior to the incident in 2024 and was microchipped to track and monitor his recovery.

“We are giving these animals the opportunity to recover and thrive,” said John Thomason, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM), who identified and removed the hook from Toast Malone.² “It is inevitable that humans are going to come in contact with marine animals, and it should be our responsibility to help these animals if they need us, especially if we move into their environment.”

MSU CVM also shared that each state located on the coast has a designated stranding agency that is responsible for rescuing injured or sick marine life, and in Mississippi, if anyone comes across an animal in distress, they should contact IMMS immediately for recovery and to then receive medical care.

References

1. Endangered sea turtles receive critical imaging at MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Mississippi State University. February 9, 2026. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2026/02/endangered-sea-turtles-receive-critical-imaging-msus-college-veterinary
2. McCafferty C. Mississippi State University saves rare sea turtle. July 18, 2024. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/mississippi-state-university-saves-rare-sea-turtle