World Turtle News, 04/05/2019

Australia’s mysterious mass deaths of green sea turtles in 2012-13 linked by study to heavy metals

We found evidence of heavy metals – particularly cobalt – in sea turtle populations where we also saw signs of illness,” said lead author Mark Flint, program head of Zoo and Wildlife Conservation Medicine and Ecosystem Health in the College of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University.

“Though we can’t be sure what caused this, there were cyclones and major flooding in this part of Australia two years prior to the start of our study, and that could have drawn out sediment rich in heavy metals that had been lying in rivers and streams benign for the past 50 years,” Flint said.

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Turtle News From Around the World

Conservation

India: olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) nesting on Visakhapatnam coast, meeting great support from locals

USA: Loogerhead Marinelife Center in Juno, FL has plans to expand in the next three years (VIDEO)

Costa Rica: Hugo the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) rescued from fishing net and soon to be released

Australia: Dorothy the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbicata) released by Ningaloo Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre

Qatar: Fuwairit Beach closed till August for turtle nesting season

Crime & Punishment

India: 21 radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) seized in Yala

Ecology

United Arab Emirates: captain Saleh Ba Abbad is helping clean sea turtles of epibiota (VIDEO)

Health & Medical

USA: Sunny and Azul the brother green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) get checkup at Point Defiance Zoo, CA

Question or Concerns? Want to submit an article to get posted? Email us at [email protected].

Photo from Ohio State.

Author

WTN Editor

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