CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The freeze has impacted many roads, pipes -- and even plants.
But a different Coastal Bend species especially has not taken kindly to these cold temperatures – sea turtles.
The Texas Sealife Center on Padre Island has been busy nursing up to 50 cold-stunned sea turtles back to health.
“We are out of space and we are working with (Nueces) county to expand on that space and get some funding to do that,” Texas Sea Life Center Director of Rehabilitation Amanda Terry said.
Nueces County Coastal Parks Director Scott Cross said the work the non-profit performs is essential to protecting aquatic life in our area.
“So this facility here takes in critters from The Island, from all locations,” he said. “So, at that point, they rehab them and get ready to release them. They sometimes do surgeries on them and things like that."
Terry said the center relies heavily on donations and volunteers to spearhead their work efforts -- especially when it comes to treating cold-stunned sea turtles.
“Time, towels, anything that you can do to contribute is certainly much appreciated,” she said.
Education outreach coordinator Anne Thomas volunteers at the center and said there is a wide array of options for those who want to help.
“As a volunteer we do a lot of different things,” she said. “So it's a little bit of everything that I get to do here. Anything from working with the sea turtles, working with the shore birds, working with any of the birds that like to come through here."
Terry said that they are hopeful for the future when it comes to keeping up with their mission.
“Hopefully, in the next year, we will have our new hospital building on the back of the property," she said. "And then this building here will be revamped into an education center."
For residents interested in volunteering, click here.