From birds to bees, Florida's cold weather has taken an unprecedented toll on some wildlife species -- requiring the rescue of more than 2,000 sea turtles, the loss of millions of dollars' worth of tropical fish and massive fish kills in rivers and streams.
And though warm weather would offer a badly needed respite to help their survival, there's worry that it'll be especially hard on the animals if there's another cold snap.
"Last year we had a hard freeze in early February. I just hope it does not play out again this year," said David Boozer, executive director of the Florida Tropical Fish Farms Association and the Florida Aquaculture Association.
Florida is the top producer of tropical aquarium fish, an industry worth $43 million a year, but dozens of farms have suffered massive die-offs of their fish stock, Boozer said. Some farms have lost 75 percent to 90 percent of their fish, which are kept in ponds and lakes.
"Goldfish and koi are coldwater fish, but some stock are so acclimated to the warm weather that there have been problems," Boozer said. "The true tropical varieties, such as African and South American cichlids, have been hit heavily."
The losses will make it tough for some farms to recover, and aquarium owners may have trouble finding some varieties, or they might see higher prices. Florida fish-farm owners are worried about losing market share to competing fish farms in China.
Most farms have hatcheries with breeding fish to rebuild stock, but it'll take months for some farms to recover and another cold snap would make it difficult to start that recovery, Boozer said.
Florida sea-turtle rehabilitators have organized a massive rescue of more than 2,000 turtles suffering cold-stun syndrome. The cold water paralyzes them, making them unable to swim or feed.
Allen Foley, wildlife biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said hundreds of turtles have been pulled out of the Indian River Lagoon, which stretches through Volusia and Brevard and three other counties. Hundreds more turtles have been rescued from St. Joseph's Bay in the Panhandle and the Tampa Bay area.
Many of the Indian River Lagoon turtles were taken to warehouses in Brevard County, where they can be triaged and sent to rehabilitation centers.
"It's disturbing to see that many animals coming in," said Brian Stacy, a veterinarian with the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and the National Marine Fisheries Services who helped in one of the triage warehouses. "It's madness."
Every place capable of caring for sea turtles has been overwhelmed. SeaWorld Orlando has 140 sea turtles in its care and had 20 others that didn't survive. Volusia County's Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet has had 67 sea turtles come in from the cold, including several 200-pound green sea turtles.
Tammy Bolerjack, turtle-rehabilitation specialist at the Volusia facility, said the turtles need a few days to warm up but have recovered quickly, and some are ready to be released.
The Panhandle turtles haven't fared as well, Foley said. About 25 percent of those didn't survive the cold.
On Tuesday, about 60 turtles rescued during the early days of the cold spell were released Tuesday at John U. Lloyd Beach State Park in Broward County.
Volusia's facility has also rehabilitated several dozen seabirds, including northern gannets, brown pelicans and several species of gulls and terns that suffered in the cold. As with other wildlife, the cold slows their metabolism.
Some pelagic birds, including several northern gannets, were emaciated and have needed additional fluids.
Volusia officials hope to release several of the birds later this week as the weather warms up.
Hundreds of warm-water fish have died in rivers, streams and lakes, with at least 40 fish kills reported to the state database — from large barracuda in mangroves in the Keys, to large schools of mullet, sheepshead and snook near the east coast and amberjack and catfish in Tampa Bay.
The fish kills have caused a feeding frenzy among birds, according to local bird watchers.
Wildlife officials have warned anglers that fishing regulations still apply.
Manatees have been taking refuge from the cold at springs and canals near power plants and other pockets of available warm water. Blue Spring State Park has hit new records this winter, with a one-day record of 311 manatees counted Jan. 8.
Cold water can be lethal to the sea cows. The weather was a key factor in last year's death-tally record, with 56 of the 429 manatee deaths blamed on the cold.
This year, two manatees have died and four have been rescued from cold stress, including a 7-foot young female pulled out of a canal in the St. Petersburg area last week. On Tuesday, the animal-care team of SeaWorld Orlando rescued another young female manatee, a 1-year-old, 280-pound sea cow found by Sebastian Inlet.