Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Center

The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, or the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Center for short, is an American nonprofit environmental organization devoted to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of sick and injured sea turtles. Since 1997, they have operated a sea turtle hospital in Topsail Island, North Carolina. They moved to a newer and larger plot in 2013, which currently stands as the only sea turtle hospital in the state. The center also runs the Topsail Turtle Project, a volunteer initiative started by Karen Beasley prior to the center's opening which consists of multiple volunteers that work to preserve and protect sea turtle nests, nesting females, and hatchlings along the Topsail coastline.

The center, which hosts guided tours for visitors, works to conserve and protect all species of marine turtles, both in the water and on the beach. They rescue, treat, and release around 100 sea turtles per year (over 2,000 sea turtles since opening). They have also kept over 2,500 sea turtle nests safe so that they can safely hatch. The hospital provides year-round care for injured or stranded sea turtles, using advanced diagnostics and treatments such as medical-grade honey, physical therapy, and a therapy pool to aid recovery. Turtles receive environmental enrichment and naturalistic feeding to build strength and prepare for release. Some turtles, such as Lennie and Snooki, are permanent residents at the center due to medical issues that prevent them from surviving in the wild. Provided by Wikipedia