Nuclear Reminders on Turtles

The Bikini Islands shot to fame when the United States tested their first nuclear bomb more than fifty years ago. The iconic image of the mushroom shaped cloud forming over the Pacific ocean as caught by the camera’s lens has been applauded and lauded.

However the nuclear bomb test has left in it’s wake a legacy of radioactive waste that is still part of the life cycle in the ecosystem. The effects are seen on the shells of the Hawkbill turtles which are vanishing even now. There are barely a hundred adult turtles surviving and the coral reefs around the area are critically endangered.

Sea turtles are considered indicators of the health of the ecosystem as per marine ecologists Kyle Van Houtan. His studies have revealed that the Hawkbill turtles have had to turn vegetarian herbivores due to the scarcity of food supply in the area. This is likely to have an even worse effect on them in the long run.

While most science projects have mentioned that the radioactive waste from a nuclear bomb can be devastating, the state of the sea turtles near Bikini Islands is proof of just how bad things can get. A fair measure of conservation now may still make a difference.