Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Florida
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Fibropapilloma is a debilitating disease of green turtles that gives rise to tumor-like growths that can inhibit the animal's basic visual, foraging, and locomotor functions. It has been linked to the presence of a herpesvirus, however the expression of tumors appears to be dependent on a variety of co-factors. Increasing populations of green turtles in southeast US waters gives cause for concern, as some of these co-factors appear to be correlated with anthropogenic disturbances.