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Turtles choke on plastic because of Hurricane Matthew, Brevard County zoo officials say

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — More than a dozen sea turtles or washbacks have died since Hurricane Matthew struck Florida on Oct. 7.

Elliot Zirulnik, the communications manager at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne said that plastic has become a major concern with all the washbacks along the beaches in Florida. Zirulnik said there has been 350 washbacks and a majority of the sea turtles that are dead from having plastic in their digestive system.

The washbacks were found along the east coast of Florida between Canaveral National Seashore and Vero Beach, according to Zurulnik.

The sea turtles are currently being kept safely at the Sea Turtle Healing Center in Melbourne. The sea turtles range from medium sized to small, and are receiving all the care they need from volunteers and employees at the center.

Zirulik said that at this stage of the turtles lives, the open ocean has masses of seaweed floating around. The center is hoping to release as many sea turtles as they can very soon.

Washbacks are a little bit larger than a hatchling and swim in search of a large mass of seaweed where they find refuge and protection from larger predators, according to St. Johns officials.