Thriving Oceans

My first introduction the tumor issue plaguing sea turtles came in 2005 on a trip to Maui.  There I was excited to capture on camera my first encounter with a green sea turtle.  However, I was troubled to see numerous growths on its body and one directly above the eye.  I began to notice many of the turtles I happened upon while snorkeling had similar tumors over the body.  Scientists are still not completely sure what is causing the fibropapillomatosis, but evidence is pointing to a herpesvirus.

What is most interesting is the fact that although it has observed back in the 1930s, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of turtles with the disease.  One Hawaiian sample  study resulted in 90% of green sea turtles having symptoms.  Researchers are now searching for the catalyst to this increasing issue, which has been described as “the most important health problem affecting free-ranging sea turtles today (Formia et al. 2007).” 

Two hypotheses are making the rounds - 1) changes to environment have made sea turtles very susceptible to the virus that had otherwise been suppressed by their immune systems 2) the virus has mutated and taken on a more virulent strain that was not previously present or widespread.

The plastic kick continues…Once in a while it is great to just sit back and relax after a full day of outside chores.   How about a host of new species and a little ocean education with National Geographic’s “Into the Abyss”? All was going well as the cameras catapulted me to a world of darkness filled with sea creatures many of us only imagine would appear on the SciFi Channel.  And with only 10 minutes remaining in the show’s hour allotment I was eagerly awaiting the climax as the ROV (remotely operated vehicle) descended to a depth of 9200 feet in the Celebes Sea, just off the Philippines.  What kind of giant fish or incredible invertebrates were we going to witness for the first time as the ROV scooted along the bottom?  And there it was, humankind once again setting a precedence, a huge pile of plastic and other trash littering the ocean depths.  ‘Twas not the  ending I had expected, but a finale easily predicted with so much garbage entering our seas.

Check it out for yourself!

The 10 most common debris items found worldwide during the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup in September:

Cigarettes and filters: 3,216,991

Plastic bags: 1,377,141

Food wrappers and containers: 942,620

Caps and lids: 937,804

Plastic bottles: 714,892

Paper bags: 530,607

Straws and stirrers: 509,593

Cups, plates and cutlery: 441,053

Glass bottles: 434,990

Drink cans: 401,412

Source: Ocean Conservancy

I received a tip from a Sea Turtle List Serve that I am on regarding the mounting problem of trash entering our oceans.  If you are new to the problem of trash in our oceans and the incredible amount of harm it does to the ecosystem and wildlife then have your eyes opened.  Even those well versed in the issue should take a peak as this video: