The ocean is a little fuller this week thanks to the efforts of scientists and volunteers of Vero Beach, Florida. Over 140 sea turtles were released back into the Atlantic Ocean Monday through out the areas of Sebastian Inlet and Fort Pierce, Florida.  Up until this week the turtles had spent most of their lives at a research facility in Galveston Texas, where they were being used to test out safer, turtle friendlier fishing nets designed to keep fish and shrimp in while letting the turtles out.

According to one biologist “It's very rewarding to see them get released back into the wild. They are not pets, they are wild animals and we used them for the research we needed to conduct. It's very exciting to let them go and be free and wild animals.” The turtles were actually loggerhead turtles, which have been on the endangered species list since 1978. Loggerheads typically make their home in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and can be found on the coast of Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina.

Loggerheads are essentially what people imagine when they think turtles. Adults can grow to weigh over 350 pounds , can get to upwards of 3 feet long, and typically nest along Florida beaches between April and September. One major reason the loggerhead is on the verge of extinction is due to their inability to escape nets laid out by shrimp trawlers. That’s why it's so important that these nets be made safer and easier for the turtles to escape from so that their beauty can be shared by generations to come.