Coney Island, Embargoed Til 10:30am EDT Aug. 6, 2025  --  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton will help release an endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle into the Atlantic Ocean along the beach outside the New York Aquarium on Wednesday, Aug. 6.

The turtle, named Elton, was recovered from a Massachusetts beach, in December 2024 and transported to the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society (AMSEAS) for rehabilitation. The turtle was cold-stunned or hypothermic, which occurs when cold-blooded turtles fail to migrate south before the waters in the north get too cold. NY Aquarium staff will help AMSEAS with the release.

The turtle’s release back into the wild is a celebration of its recovery and the state funding that allows this work to happen and keeps our ocean, coasts, and all who rely on them, healthy.

The event will highlight the importance of New York’s ocean and the role that the New York State Environmental Protection Fund plays in supporting the health of the ocean. In 1993, New York State enacted the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and in 2006 the Ocean and Great Lakes Program line was added to the EPF. The Ocean and Great Lakes Program line is the state’s main source of funding for science and projects that protect and restore ocean and coastal health. Learn more about the EPF HERE.  Learn more about the Ocean and Great Lakes Program HERE.

What:
Release of an endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle into the Atlantic Ocean by DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton

When:
10:30 a.m. sharp, Wednesday, Aug. 6
(Reporters should arrive by 10 a.m.)

Where:
On the beach behind the New York Aquarium
602 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224

Who:
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton
New York State Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny
Robert A. DiGiovanni, Jr., Founder/ Chief Scientist, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society
Leigh Ann Clayton, Director, Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment
Alison Chase, Marine Protected Areas Director, Natural Resources Defense Council
Elton, an Endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle
New York Aquarium camp participants and high school youth leaders

Special Note to Reporters: Reporters will be allowed free access to the New York Aquarium parking lot at 602 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224. Call Nat Moss at 917-922-4670 upon arrival or with any questions. All press should arrive at 10 a.m. and head to the boardwalk behind the New York Aquarium.

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Learn More About Organizations Sponsoring the Event:
Atlantic Marine Conservation Society
Citizens Campaign for the Environment
Natural Resources Defense Council
New York Aquarium