What are the white organisms attached to sea turtles and their tags?
The white organisms may be a type of barnacle (a crustacean, which at the adult stage attaches itself to a solid surface). They are often found attached both to the hard and soft parts of a sea turtle and/ or their flipper tags. Biologists are researching into whether barnacles negatively affect sea turtles. Their presence can make tag reading difficult, or impossible.
