Georgia Sea Turtle Center 3D prints floating harness for injured turtle

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center has used 3D printing to produce a floating harness for Cebu, a juvenile green sea turtle undergoing physical therapy after a boat strike. The collision caused spinal cord trauma that impaired the animal’s ability to swim, and the center’s veterinary and conservation teams developed the harness together.

“We’ve created harnesses for other cases in the past, but Cebu needed something completely customized,” said Jaynie L. Gaskin, Director of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. “Our conservation team has 3D printing capabilities, so our veterinary and conservation teams worked together to develop a solution specifically for Cebu.”

Cebu arrived at the center in poor condition. “Cebu was initially so weak that they could not safely swim in a tank at a normal water depth and spent an extended period in very shallow water. Or at the beginning, no water at all,” Gaskin said.

As the turtle recovers, staff want to move therapy into deeper water. “As Cebu began to recover, our veterinary team wanted to provide opportunities for physical therapy in deeper water, where normal flipper movements could help rebuild strength and mobility,” Gaskin said.

Early sessions relied on flotation devices or a human helper. Both worked only in the short term, as continuous handling can stress the animal and extended use of flotation devices can damage its fragile shell.

The harness is one part of Cebu’s care. The turtle also received stem cell therapy, a treatment intended to repair diseased, dysfunctional or injured tissue. About a month had passed since the second treatment, and Gaskin reported that the team had begun to see encouraging changes.

“There is still a long way to go before we know whether release will be possible,” Gaskin said. “At this point, Cebu’s prognosis remains guarded, but we are encouraged by the progress we are beginning to see.”