What to do, what to do
The Valentine lab is currently working to map the extent of contamination. Dumping often occurred outside of the designated areas, the researchers have discovered, leaving scientists still searching for the boundaries of the pollution.
They are also investigating the microbes and processes that break up halogenated organic contaminants like DDT. “If we can understand how it’s happening, maybe somewhere down the road there might be something we can do to speed it up,” Valentine said. But that is a long way off. Much of the DDT hasn’t broken down since it settled onto the seafloor, where it’s now easily stirred up by trawling, undersea cables and marine animals.
DDT also wasn’t the only waste disposed of off the coast. “I have spent a lot of time weeding through historical records, investigations, regulations, reports and images to find information on the actors responsible for DDT-laden waste disposal into the deep ocean,” said Jacob Schmidt, a doctoral student in the Valentine lab.
Scientists have to identify the scope of the problem before we can even begin to devise solutions. But right now, the researchers are worried about the country’s basic scientific capability. “The uncertainty and chaos presently hitting our scientific agencies and our broader scientific enterprise is already undercutting our scientific productivity,” Valentine said. “It’s demoralizing our students and trainees. Talented young scientists are losing hope for their future in science and looking elsewhere.”
Valentine hopes that the film’s key themes begin to take hold in our social discourse. “Themes like: the importance of science to disentangling real world problems, the importance of sustained support for maintaining archives, and an appreciation for the hard work that scientists do,” he said. “If people can echo these themes loud enough, then maybe we can help to adjust our present course.”