Turtles’ age determined by atomic-bomb fallout in their shells

During the years spanning the mid-1950s to 1970, the US government conducted some serious atomic bomb testing above the waters of the Pacific Ocean. As a result, the corals there accumulated a lot of nuclear fallout into their structures. But the coral wasn’t the only sea creature to take radioactive material onboard — hawksbill sea turtles incorporated the material into their shells as well.

Now, a researcher at Duke University has used the nuclear fallout accumulated in the shells of these deceased turtles to age them more accurately than ever before, shedding light on why the animals are rebounding more slowly than expected in the waters around Hawaii, despite environmental protections

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