By Heather Wilcox | Director of Annual Giving
With your help, Earthwatch’s 6th season of critical sea turtle conservation in The Bahamas is underway. Over 50 volunteers will come together this year to form eight research teams that will assist Lead Scientist Annabelle Brooks with capturing and studying endangered green and hawksbill sea turtles. Thanks to the consistent support of our adventurous volunteers and donors like you, Dr. Brooks was able to expand her data collection efforts this year to include research sites on Exuma island.
This expansion couldn’t be more timely: a deadly turtle-specific virus called fibropapillomatosis (FP) has begun infecting turtles in The Bahamas. FP does not infect humans, but can be deadly to the turtles as they develop large tumors on their heads and flippers that eventually constrict movement, vision, and feeding. FP has been observed in all species of sea turtles except for leatherbacks. It is most common in green turtles, and juvenile turtles, but scientists are still unsure as to why this is, what causes the disease, and how it is spread.
The sudden emergence of FP in The Bahamas is a testament to the importance of consistent, long term data collection. Building on over five years’ worth of baseline data collected prior to the onset of FP, Earthwatch teams will now document its spread in search of possible prevention and recovery methods.
We look forward to updating you on their progress after this season’s fieldwork concludes in September. In the meantime, thank you for all you do to help multi-year conservation studies like this one. Together, we are making a real difference in the fight to sustain our planet, one species, one donation, and one day at a time.
With gratitude,
Heather Wilcox
Director of Annual Giving
978-450-1208
hwilcox@earthwatch.org
P.S. Remember, you don't just have to read about this research from afar... you can dive into the action as an Earthwatch research volunteer! Please follow the link below to see which teams are accepting volunteers for 2019 and 2020.
** All photos provided courtesy of Annabelle Brooks **
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