Liam Whitmore
He/Him
I am gay and I am a conservation zoologist.//
Hi, I’m Liam and I’m a conservation zoologist currently studying for my PhD. I research a marine turtle tumour disease, known as fibropapillomatosis. This disease, thought to be partly caused by a turtle herpesvirus and some environmental co-trigger, causes 10-100’s of benign tumours to grow primarily on the soft tissues of a marine turtle’s skin and internal organs. It can severely impact a turtle’s ability to swim, feed and fulfill their ecological role and can even lead to death.
Myself and the team I work with are researching as many aspects of this disease as possible in order to come up with practical conservation strategies, treat affected turtles and to help us understand this deadly disease.