The memory of injured sea turtles stayed with Gabriela after she moved to Minnesota.
And every time they do, the weights that are attached to them fall off leaving their butt to float again. Sea turtles shed old scutes and grow new ones. These are made of keratin, the same protein that makes up your hair and fingernails. The turtle’s shell is made of plates called scutes. That weighs the animal down so it can swim normally. To allow them to dive, rescue workers glue weights to the sea turtle’s shell. “Most end up dying ,” the teen explains.Īffected turtles that get rescued can never be released back into the wild. It also can make it difficult for a turtle to feed. They can’t dive away from dangers (such as more boats).
“It’s permanent.”Ī floating turtle is not a good turtle. Once this happens, “There’s no way to get the air out,” Gabriela says. If the air gets trapped near the back of the turtle, its rear end floats. The impact of being hit by boats can drive air inside a turtle’s shell. Back then, she visited the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Fla., where she learned about “bubble butt syndrome.” But she first encountered injured sea turtles while living in Miami, Fla. Gabriela is a senior at Minnetonka High School in Minnetonka, Minn. Now, Gabriela Queiroz Miranda, 18, has invented a device to help an injured turtle dive again. While the animal is still alive, it can’t dive, leaving it in constant danger. Getting hit by boats can make a sea turtle float.
0 kommentar(er)
