The U.S. Coast Guard, working closely with the Gumbo-Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton, Florida helped to released more than 500 sea turtle hatchlings into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday.
The hatchlings, collected from nesting areas around the Florida coast, were released into deeper waters off of Florida, along with several adult turtles that the nature center had been rehabilitating.
The Loggerhead and Green turtles nest throughout Florida's coastal areas.
Both species have protected status and are considered either threatened or endangered, depending on the population segments.
Elsewhere along the Gulf of Mexico, conservation officials have been releasing turtle hatchlings of other threatened or endangered species, including the Kemp's ridley sea turtle.
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BONUS: Video of the release