After researching for a lecture I gave to the Cabrillo Natural History Club, I found incredible information regarding research programs on marine life that is definitely worth sharing.

One example would be the Pygmy Seahorse, a tiny delicate animal that is extremely sensitive to light. They have no eyelids to protect their eyes and are easily be injured by camera flashes or strobe lights. They have become the subjects of current research for their amazing ability to regenerate their retinas. As is the case with many of the animals with whom we share this planet, they have genes activated that we do not. Some of these genes allow them to heal and regenerate in ways that we can not yet understand.

Sea turtles are another example, an animal that lives in the sea though they are an air-breathing reptile. They are contributing to our understanding of our planet and our past by keeping a record of environmental changes in their bones.  Their bones grow in rings much like a tree and the circumstances in their lives are recorded in these concentric rings.

Researchers have been surprised to find their organs don't break down or become less efficient as time passes. They are practically immortal, not dying of old age and we can't guess how long they might live if they did not fall prey to disease, injury or predation. Female turtles don't reach sexual maturity until sometime after 40 or 50 years of age, they could be the animals who mature the latest of any in the world.  Wow!  They are truly interesting and I will continue to look for more new information about these incredible, beautiful animals.

For more information on this research, see the article on NOAA's website. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/sea-turtle-skeletons-hold-clues-conservation.