<p>In the past decade, alarming mass die-offs have hit sea turtle populations in the Great Barrier Reef, specifically the endangered green turtle species — and no one could figure out why. A recent paper in <em>Science of the Total Environment</em> proposes a potential answer. Researchers studied green turtles from three regions — two coastal sites likely to be impacted by human activity and a more pristine offshore site — from 2014 to 2017. They found that metal contaminants, namely cobalt, were present in populations with unusually high numbers of sick turtles. Though they’re unsure of the pollutants’ source, the group speculates human activity is likely a culprit. The group hopes the findings can help inform future conservation efforts aimed toward green turtle populations.</p><div class="vert-display-toggle collapsible relative flex flex-col items-center "><div class="vert-unit mt-4 mb-3 top-20"><div ad-type="mobile-desktop" class="ad-wrapper vert min-h-boombox flex items-start justify-center" data-ad-mapping="inline" data-ad-slot="Discover/inline-ad" id="div-inline-ad-0"></div></div><span aria-label="Advertisement" class="text-ad mt-1 text-[11px] uppercase">Advertisement</span></div><hr><p><em>[This story originally appeared in print as "Won't Somebody Please Think of the Turtles?"]</em></p>

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The July/August 2019 issue of Discover Magazine

Everything Worth Knowing About...

Discover the alarming decline of green turtle populations in the Great Barrier Reef due to metal contaminants and mass die-offs.

Planet Earth

Mass Sea Turtle Die-offs Likely Caused by Pollution

Article

News

Lacy Schley

Science

In the past decade, alarming mass die-offs have hit sea turtle populations in the Great Barrier Reef, specifically the endangered green turtle species — and no one could figure out why. A recent paper in Science of the Total Environment proposes a potential answer. Researchers studied green turtles from three regions — two coastal sites likely to be impacted by human activity and a more pristine offshore site — from 2014 to 2017. They found that metal contaminants, namely cobalt, were present in populations with unusually high numbers of sick turtles. Though they’re unsure of the pollutants’ source, the group speculates human activity is likely a culprit. The group hopes the findings can help inform future conservation efforts aimed toward green turtle populations. [This story originally appeared in print as "Won't Somebody Please Think of the Turtles?"]

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