First published 2001
Dr. Sarah Chen watches another dead turtle wash ashore, its shell cracked and eyes clouded. The marine biologist has devoted her career to studying chelonia, but now pollution and development threaten the ancient creatures she loves. When a massive die-off strikes the nesting grounds she protects, Sarah must choose between her research and direct action. She faces corporate lawyers, indifferent bureaucrats, and her own scientific training that demands objectivity over advocacy. As turtle populations crash around her, Sarah discovers that saving these creatures means risking everything she has built. The novel explores one woman's struggle to balance scientific integrity with moral responsibility when the subjects of her life's work face extinction.
Genres: fiction, animals, contemporary, environmental-science, activism, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: moral-dilemma, scientist-protagonist
Setting: Chelonia
40 pages · Hardcover · Sea Challengers