The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience
FP is viral disease that can cause the growth of debilitating tumors. The virus (Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5, or ChHV-5) flourishes in sea turtles that have had their immune systems weakened, whether through polluted waters, changing water temperatures, or other underlying diseases. The growth of FP tumors can severely inhibit normal behavior such as feeding and breeding, often resulting in afflicted turtles being found in a malnourished lethargic state.
FP has been reported in growing numbers around the world but is particularly prevalent in our local sea turtle population. Scientists and citizens alike have seen the numbers of sea turtles with this disease in local waters increasing dramatically in recent years, and a multi-disciplinary, scientific and community-based approach to mitigating this disease is needed.