mmadiver
Contributor
Environmentalist and several advocacy groups have been up in arms recently due to a study conducted at Berkley that cites keratin protein abnormalities in aquatic mammals due to carbarnoyl phosphate retention. The study was conducted to determine the cause of two separate whale pods inability to produce survivable offspring. It was noted the offspring produced by these whales had significant deformities in their baleens and were not able to efficiently feed and starved to death. Autopsies were conducted and researchers concluded that the cause of this deformation were high levels of the compound carbarnoyl phosphate directly impeding the animals ability to synthesis protein and produce the necessary keratin for proper baleen formation.
Carbarnoyl phosphate is produced by terrestrial mammals only, and is not found in high concentrations in the ocean. A team of scientist investigating the source of the carbarnoyl phosphate have discovered that ammonia reacts with the compound thioureas to form carbarnoyl phosphate. Thioureas is most widely used in the production of polychloroprene (i.e. neoprene). Scientists have concluded that divers are significantly contributing to the toxic levels of carbarnoyl phosphate in coastal zones by urinating in their wetsuits. However, in the course of the investigation a single pod of whales; nicknamed the wee-wee pod, was discovered that has developed an immunity to the toxic compound. Two calves in this pod named Number One and Number Two have shown no deformations despite relatively high concentrations of ambient carbarnoyl phosphate. Scientists working to take blood samples from these animals have remarked Number One is quite pleasurable and we generally sample several times a day. Number Two, while usually regular, can be somewhat erratic in appearances and can be quite challenging at times. Dr. Piddle, the team leader for the research, is hoping to pinpoint and isolate the genome that has provided these whales with immunity. In the meantime he cautions against excessive wetsuiturination and reminds us that every time you pee in your wetsuit you kill a baby whale.
Carbarnoyl phosphate is produced by terrestrial mammals only, and is not found in high concentrations in the ocean. A team of scientist investigating the source of the carbarnoyl phosphate have discovered that ammonia reacts with the compound thioureas to form carbarnoyl phosphate. Thioureas is most widely used in the production of polychloroprene (i.e. neoprene). Scientists have concluded that divers are significantly contributing to the toxic levels of carbarnoyl phosphate in coastal zones by urinating in their wetsuits. However, in the course of the investigation a single pod of whales; nicknamed the wee-wee pod, was discovered that has developed an immunity to the toxic compound. Two calves in this pod named Number One and Number Two have shown no deformations despite relatively high concentrations of ambient carbarnoyl phosphate. Scientists working to take blood samples from these animals have remarked Number One is quite pleasurable and we generally sample several times a day. Number Two, while usually regular, can be somewhat erratic in appearances and can be quite challenging at times. Dr. Piddle, the team leader for the research, is hoping to pinpoint and isolate the genome that has provided these whales with immunity. In the meantime he cautions against excessive wetsuiturination and reminds us that every time you pee in your wetsuit you kill a baby whale.