Costa Rica mystery
08/11/13 05:27
There has been a mystery washing up on the northwestern shores of Costa Rica all week. Actually what is washing up on the shores is not the mystery. What they have are dead sea turtles. There have been dozens, perhaps hundreds of dead sea turtles washing up on the shore. The mystery is what killed the turtles. The turtles are Eastern Pacific Green Sea Turtles. This is important, for the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica is famous as the nesting grounds of a different species of sea turtle - the Olive Ridley turtle. So far, however, all but one of the turtles examined by biologists have been the less common Eastern Pacific Green Sea Turtle. Eastern Pacific Green Sea Turtles are considered to be an endangered species.
One early theory is that the turtles had been killed by longline fishermen. A sudden influx of mahi mahi to the Pacific coast has increased the number of longline fishermen currently operating in Costa Rican waters. But the turtles lack any signs of physical damage. Longline fishing leaves hooks in the turtles that would be easily seen.
Another theory that has been discounted is that radiation leaked from the Japanese Fukishima disaster could be to blame. Experts, however, have stated that it would take at least five years from radiation to spread across the Pacific to the Western hemisphere, meaning that marine animals would not be affected until 2016.
Many of the turtles have been sent to laboratories for analysis. The possibility of chemical toxins has not been ruled out, but scientists aren’t sure what kind of toxins would affect only Eastern Pacific Green Sea Turtles.
Roberto Umaña, head of the Costa Rican Fisheries Institute, thinks that dynamite fishing might be the cause. Dynamite fishing is banned in Costa Rican waters, but local fishermen have reported that Nicaraguan fishermen have been using the practice near Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast. In an article in the Tico Times,Umaña said that “there were turtles found swimming circles in the water. I don’t know how a bombing would affect a turtle, but confusion like that seems to make sense.”
But if the cause were dynamite fishing, one would expect to see Olive Ridley turtles affected as well.
For now the mystery remains. Scientists are looking to see if chemical or natural causes could explain what is going on.
Costa Rica is especially aware of its incredible biological diversity and its role in preserving many creatures that are unique to its climate and location. Before the 1980’s the Golden Toad was almost a symbol of the country. Thousands of the beautiful amphibians lived in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. 1987, however was an unusually warm and dry year and the population was nearly wiped out. No Golden Toads have been observed since 1989 and it is believed that the species is extinct.
Biologists haven’t totally given up hope, however. The “Halloween” frog, sometimes also called the “Clown” frog was once declared to be extinct, but it was rediscovered in 2005. Other amphibians including the Holdrige’s toad, red-eyed stream frog, and the green-eyed frog, all thought at one time to be extinct, have been rediscovered. One recently rediscovered frog, Isthmohyla rivularis, is so rare that it doesn’t even have a common name.
Scientists believe that after conditions at the end of the 20th century threatened nearly 90 percent of rainforest frog species with extinction, the creatures may now be on the increase once again.
The bottom line is that even with all of the scientific knowledge and studies that have been completed, there is much that we do not understand about the lives of the creatures of this world. It seems probable that life on this planet is a bit more resilient than we had thought.
This is not to say that we shouldn’t be careful about our impact on the environment. Life is fragile. Death comes all to easily. Once a species is genuinely extinct, it is gone forever. There is no doubt that humans of the 20th and 21st century have an enormous impact on other species. We have developed lifestyles that consume more than our fair share of the earth’s resources and the decisions we make about our lives has a deep impact on other creatures.
We have much to learn about other creatures with whom we share this planet. Many of our discoveries about these creatures illustrate how closely linked we are. Saving species from extinction is not just a matter of having more creatures for us to observe. Biological diversity is of critical importance for human health and well being. With each species that is lost, we also lose information about the nature of life and death, disease and its treatment. In some cases along with the plants and animals that are lost sources of medicines to treat human ailments are also lost.
So the work of the biologists in Costa Rica continues to hold my interest and inspire hope. Costa Rica is a very small country, about half the size of the state of South Dakota. Yet it is home to amazing biological diversity. And the people of Costa Rica have become aware of the need to preserve the natural beauty and biological diversity of their tiny country. They have set aside large amounts of land as nature preserves. They have engaged scientists from around the world in the study of the plants and animals of their country. They have enlisted experts to assist in preserving the rich biological heritage of their country.
I’m sure it is heartbreaking for scientists to watch the arrival of the dead sea turtles, but they are on the site to study and learn what they can about the phenomenon. Meanwhile, up north, I read about their work and am grateful for their contributions to our common understanding. Sometimes I contribute to the problems in other countries by decisions I make about what to eat or wear. I drink coffee that comes from Costa Rica, My decisions affect people and creatures that are far away from my home.
Once again we are reminded that we are all in this together. May we learn from our mistakes and continue to understand that all life is a gift of God worthy of our careful stewardship.