Everyone loves sea turtles, like the green sea turtle, found in Florida, Hawaii, Texas, and Puerto Rico and across the world. In the United States, one of the places they primarily nest is in Hawaii.
Off the coast of the Hawaiin island of O‘ahu, a young scientist, Maddux Springer, often went freediving in the sheltered Kāneʻohe Bay during the pandemic. It was like being in an “alien” world, he told Business Insider.
“It’s almost like you’re an alien,” Springer said. “You’re just there by yourself in this environment that you don’t really belong in.”
During his daily swim, he saw the turtles so frequently that he became familiar with each one by name.
“I identified every one that I saw, gave them names, and they became my friends, so to speak,” Springer said.
While observing the turtles, he noticed many of them appeared to be suffering from disturbing cauliflower-like growths on their bodies. Sadly, some had died and sank to the bottom. They were covered in these ugly growths up to the size of a football.
Video about Fibropapillomatosis in Green Sea Turtles by Sea Turtle Inc:
What Was Happening to the Sea Turtles?
Springer took to the internet and discovered that these growths were fibropapillomatosis tumors (FP). The tumors are one of the top killers of green sea turtles as well as other turtles. Rather than ignoring it, he decided to find out why his friends were dying.
Springer, now 18, spent the next two and a half years looking into it. And while scientists hadn’t fully explained what was happening, he was able to determine the cause on his own: human waste pollution from cesspools on the island.
The cesspools leach into the ocean. There, nitrogen from the waste is absorbed by invasive ocean algae. A resulting byproduct is the amino acid arginine. As the green sea turtles consume the algae, they ingest high levels of arginine. Scientists have long known that arginine is associated with cancerous growths.
And the government knows green sea turtles in Florida, Hawaii, Texas, and Puerto Rico are the most commonly affected by the tumors. Green sea turtles are unique in that they are herbivores that eat algae.
The Algae Tested High in Arginine
Despite being denied a permit to biopsy the tumorous growths, the Iolani High School student pressed on. He set up underwater cameras which showed multiple turtles were affected. And he took samples of the widespread invasive algae, sending powdered samples to a lab. Those samples showed high arginine from human pollutants.
Mystery solved?
Video by Society For Science:
Money Versus Caring for Sea Turtles and Nature
As a result of Maddux Springer’s determination, the connection between human pollution and the sea turtle’s tumors was made. Yet, to be honest, isn’t it a little surprising that the adults failed to figure that out? How could that be? Scientists have been talking about the connection between sea turtle cancer and pollution for years.
Indeed, the NOAA Fisheries website states as much but states they need more evidence of links.
“Although much has been learned about sea turtle FP over the last few decades, many aspects of this disease are not yet understood. We do not currently have a strategy to reduce or eliminate FP from sea turtle populations. As we learn more about possible links with human activity, measures to alleviate the disease to at least some degree may be identified, such as through reducing sources of marine pollution.”
Obviously, addressing the cesspools in Hawaii will require large investments in wastewater treatment infrastructure to clean up the thousands of cesspools on the islands (11,000 on O‘ahu alone).
Helping Nature Instead of Focusing on Money
Springer’s motive, he explained, was not money but to help the green sea turtles. Even so, he ended up winning an international science fair, receiving the top $10K award. And for that reason, his discovery is being shared by mainstream news outlets, which are focusing on the money he won for looking into a “mysterious outbreak.”
“My goal is just to help the turtles. And I eventually got to this point because my research did show that the turtles are suffering and that something needs to be done about this. So I don’t really like to think of it as a win for myself but a win for the environment and a win for our beloved green sea turtles,” he said.
Given the young man’s altruistic motivations, determination, and insight, he has made an important connection that expert scientists failed to. If more young people are inspired to act as he did, perhaps nature really does have a chance to recover from what we’re doing to it, Not only in Hawaii but everywhere!
This story is just one example of how human pollutants are affecting aquatic life and nature in general. Another story this week shows how antibiotics leaching into the waterways are severely impairing the brain function of snails and could very well be doing the same to other aquatic animals.
It’s easy to see a pattern here. Human pollution and chemicals are obviously degrading the natural world rapidly everywhere. Making that connection should be common sense by now, and yet it may take an army of people like this High School student to ensure the adults stop ignoring it and start doing something to prevent it.
By helping the natural world, we’re ultimately saving ourselves. We’re but one small part of nature, and it’s all interconnected.
Featured image via Pixabay