Nearly 1,500 sea turtle hatchlings displaced by Hurricane Irma and Jose were set for release back into the ocean Friday.

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The newly hatched green and loggerhead turtles -- along with numerous young turtles washed back onto the beach after swimming off shore called “washbacks” -- have been turned over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, according to a Brevard Zoo release.

The zoo said staff and volunteers from the Melbourne area began dropping off the turtles at Brevard Zoo on Monday, before the animals were taken to Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton. The FWC was to put the turtles on seaweed mats off shore Friday.

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Curt Hollie at his home in College Park with pictures of five loved ones he lost in a 2020 car crash. From left: His mother, Sherita Carter; his cousin Antonio Sinkfield; his brother Jaylin Carter; his brother Jakwon Carter; and his sister, Tiara Carter. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com