The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 5

September 8, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 4 Features Hatching a plan to save the sea turtles A look at 9/11’s impact on survivors and volunteers Study abroad: Expanding your horizons, even if it’s from home By: Sofia Gallus Arts & Entertainment Editor As true fall approaches and summer comes to an end, so does the 2020 sea turtle nesting season. While it has been a strange summer for humans, to say the least, the sea turtles seem to be unbothered. Sarah Martin, the program leader for The Nature Conservancy Florida Sea Turtle Rescue, said that this year seemed to be a good year for sea turtles to nest. She manages a stretch of land called Blowing Rocks Preserve, a peaceful barrier-island sanctuary to many of South Florida’s creatures, but most notably, three different species of sea turtles. “I can’t speak for all of Florida, although anecdotally it sounds like it has been a good year, but it’s been a pretty busy one here. This season we’ve had 543 loggerhead sea turtle nests recorded, 213 green sea turtle nests recorded and 16 leatherback sea turtle nests recorded. It’s quite a bit; they’re really tearing up the sand out there,” she laughed. On the anniversary of 9/11, it’s important to look at how these events have affected those who survived or volunteered in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks that impacted the World Trade Center in New York City, The Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and the crash site near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. On September 11, 2001, a total of 2,996 people were killed, including the 19 individuals who carried out these terrorist attacks against the U.S. Over the next few weeks, first responders, construction workers, search and rescue dogs and other volunteers were involved in cleaning up the sites, with a special focus in New York City at what was known as Ground Zero. According to the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program, it is estimated that over 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants, risk of traumatic injury and physically and emotionally stressful Whether students are looking to hone their professional edge, master a new language, engage in leadership and internship opportunities, explore new cultures or dive deeper into a field of interest, study abroad options can provide an opportunity for students to step outside their comfort zones and experience something new. Cassidy Campanella, a Sharks Abroad peer advisor at NSU, spent the summer after her freshman year traveling to Italy for a shadowing program. She shadowed doctors, earned clinical hours and immersed herself in Italy’s rich culture. As she reminisced on her time abroad she recalled the amazing connections she made with the doctors and the people she met, as well as, the valuable insight and professionalism she gained from her experience. “As a pre-med [student], I think experience matters a lot, in terms of professionalism and networking… There are so many opportunities to make connections with people that are abroad The large number of nests recorded at Blowing Rocks Preserve is a good sign, as sea turtles are considered a federally endangered species. Sea turtles face unprecedented challenges as climate change progresses, such as habitat destruction, ocean acidification and human pollution. Fortunately, many people in the area are aware of this and support conservationmovements. Martin explained that teaching people to love sea turtles couldbe oneway to expand conservation to the whole ecosystem. “If you care about sea turtles, you hopefully care about the things that support sea turtles. The ecosystems in South Florida are so special, but so fragile and really need the people that live here and come here to be good stewards to them. Understanding and caring about sea turtles can help people learn to care about the whole ecosystemand start thinking about the South Florida system as a whole; our ocean, our coastal barrier islands or landmass here,” Martin said. While sea turtles are an endangered species, conditions in the days, weeks and months following the attacks. The common 9/11-related health conditions include chronic cough, asthma, sinus congestion, certain cancers, stress-related disorders and depression, among others. Members of the WTC Health Program are found across the U.S. with high populations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida. In 2010, The WTC Health Program was established under the “James Zadroga 9/11 Health and CompensationAct of 2010,” signed by former President Barack Obama on Jan. 2, 2011. This act also re-opened the pre-existent September 11th Victims Compensation Fund (VCF), which provides monetary compensation to individuals of surviving family members whose health, in terms of injury, illness or death, were deemed related to 9/11. The WTC Health Program’s mission is to provide monitoring and treatment for health conditions that have been determined to be who are really friendly. If you want to get experience in your field, going abroad is an amazing way to do it because you get a new perspective,” she explained. Unfortunately, for many, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted plans to participate in international educational experiences and has continued to cast a cloud of uncertainty over the future of study abroad programs across the globe. However, although travel restrictions and COVID-19 regulations may persist for the foreseeable future, there is still hope that programs will resume in upcoming semesters. And even better, there are still plenty of ways to engage globally, even if it is from the comfort of your own home. “We’re really pushing the virtual options because, if you really do want to do some type of study abroad, you can still do it. It’s still worth it. Even if you do it virtually, you’re still going to be gaining these great experiences,” said Chante Lively, a Sharks Abroad peer advisor. For a full version of study aboard: expanding your horizons, be sure to check out The Current’s website at https://nsucurrent. nova.edu/.vvv their biological nesting habits are made to accommodate for natural pressures to hatchlings. “Nesting female turtles deposit several nests throughout the duration of the season, and those nests contain around 100 eggs each. That’s a survival strategy, to not know every single turtle hatchling is going to make it. In fact, very few of them actually do,” Martin said. Newly hatched sea turtles face a whole slew of problems in their first few years. Even before they’re hatched, they begin facing challenges. Hurricanes or rough seas could submerge the sand on the beach, drowning out nests deposited too close to the shoreline. When sea turtle nests begin hatching, seabirds swarm the beaches looking for easy prey. Even animals like coyotes and raccoons wander onto the sand for a meal. Sometimes, even other nests could be the problem -- a nest dug especially deep might halt a hatchling from reaching the sea. Even if a hatchling manages to reach the water, it faces predators in the open ocean. 9/11-related. In July 2019, President DonaldTrump signed the “Never Forget the Heroes, James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund,” which extended the filing claim deadline until Oct. 1, 2090, matching the permanent deadline ofWTC Health Program. TheWTCHealth Program serves responders at theWTC and related sites in NewYork City, the Pentagon and Shanksville Pennsylvania. This also includes survivors who were present in the dust or dust cloud and lived, worked or went to school in theWTCHealthProgramsNewYorkCityDisaster Area. The health care in this program is provided through the Clinical Centers of Excellence in the New York metropolitan area and a Nationwide Provider Network (NPN) for those who moved from states of 9/11 sites since 2001. The VCF serves responders and survivors as well as families of deceased individuals who were Anew challenge that has developed over the last few decades is humans. “Sometimes hatchlings can get flipped over by a beach goer or fall into a hole that someone didn’t re-bury. Even a sand castle that isn’t knocked down at the end of the day can be an issue,” Martin explained. That is where her team comes in. The Nature Conservancy Sea Turtle Rescue Program is made up of licensed professionals who have special stranding and salvage permits from the state of Florida to go assist sea turtles who may be having issues near the coast. While they understand that everyone wants to help out an animal that might be struggling, Martin emphasized that sea turtles should be left to the professionals. For a full version of hatching a plan to save the sea turtles, be sure to check out The Current’s website at https://nsucurrent.nova . edu/.vvv present at 9/11 crash site in New York City, the Pentagon or Shanksville, PA, on routes of debris removal or present at any location within the VCF’s New York City Exposure Zone at any point from Sept. 11, 2001 through May 30, 2002. By registering for the VCF, it preserves the individual’s right to file a VCF claim in the future. Individuals who are members of the WTC Health Program with a certified condition have two years after certification to register with the VCF. For individuals who are interested in learning more about these programs or interested in applying, they are encouraged to visit www.cdc.gov/wtc or call 1-888- 982-4748 for the WTC Health Program and www.vcf.gov or 1-855-885-1555 or (1558 for hearing impaired) for the Victim’s Compensation Fund. PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM C. CAMPANELLA Atlantis Medical Fellowship in Bologna, Italy By: Emma Heineman Features Editor By: Christina McLaughlin Co-Editor-in-Chief