Fungus killing turtles within the nest

Thorough study: Dr Siti Nordahliawate investigating turtle egg samples infected by the Fusarium fungus at a lab at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu.

KUALA TERENGGANU: The local turtle population is not only threatened by predators and careless human behaviour. Researchers at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu have found a deadly microorganism silently working from inside the nest as well.

In a study spanning about 10 years, a team led by Dr Siti Nordahliawate Mohamed Sidique, senior lecturer of microbiology and plant pathology, found that an aggressive fungus of the Fusarium species has been infecting the eggs, ruining every chance of survival.