Article
Environmental Sciences
Camila Miguel, Monica Ryff Moreira Vianna, Marcelo Renan de Deus Santos
Summary: This study evaluated the reproductive success and trace elements concentrations in loggerhead turtles from an area affected by mining waste and compared them with turtles from an unaffected area. Results showed that turtles from the affected area had higher concentrations of certain metals, which may influence incubation period and reproductive success.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. Sole, A. Bassols, V Labrada-Martagon
Summary: Sea turtles, particularly Caretta caretta, are proposed as sentinels of plastic pollution. Plasmatic B-esterases, such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), and carboxylesterase (CE), have been measured in wild turtles and shown to increase after rehabilitation, indicating their potential as biomarkers of plastic contamination. However, further research is needed to confirm the association between plasma enzyme modifications and plastic exposure.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Silvia Canzanella, Amalia Danese, Maria Mandato, Giuseppe Lucifora, Caterina Riverso, Giovanni Federico, Pasquale Gallo, Mauro Esposito
Summary: Toxic trace elements, originating from both natural and human sources, pose a threat to aquatic environments and marine wildlife. Sea turtles, as long-lived and migratory animals, are considered sentinel species for chemical pollution. This study investigated the presence of toxic elements in tissues of loggerhead sea turtles stranded along the coasts of Calabria in Southern Italy, finding that muscles showed the lowest element burdens and kidneys were the main accumulation organ for cadmium.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Ludovica Di Renzo, Roberta Ceci, Silvia D'Antonio, Gabriella Di Francesco, Federica Di Giacinto, Nicola Ferri, Carla Giansante, Manuela Leva, Giulia Mariani, Vincenzo Olivieri, Simone Pulsoni, Romolo Salini, Giampiero Scortichini, Giulio Tammaro, Gianfranco Diletti
Summary: This study investigated the levels of chlorinated POPs in loggerhead sea turtles in the Mediterranean Sea and found that these pollutants can easily bioaccumulate in the turtles. The results also showed that there was no correlation between the contamination levels and the sex and size of the turtles. Harmonizing methodological approaches is necessary to better evaluate the results and trends over time and to monitor the health status of the marine environment.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Junichi Okuyama, Akemi Watabe, Shunichi Takuma, Kentaro Tanaka, Kotaro Shirai, Naoko Murakami-Sugihara, Mamiko Arita, Kento Fujita, Hideaki Nishizawa, Tomoko Narazaki, Yoshiya Yamashita, Kazunari Kameda
Summary: Quantifying the proportions of loggerhead turtles using different foraging habitats is crucial for prioritizing conservation areas. This study used stable isotope analysis and satellite tracking to determine the occurrence of a foraging dichotomy in Japan. The results highlight the importance of the East China Sea as a critical foraging habitat for endangered loggerhead turtles in the North Pacific Ocean.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Antonino Pace, Nadia Vicari, Sara Rigamonti, Simone Magnino, Luca Borrelli, Ludovico Dipineto, Alessandro Fioretti, Sandra Hochscheid, Luis Tavares, Ana Duarte
Summary: This study found the widespread presence of chlamydial DNA in Mediterranean loggerhead sea turtles, suggesting they may act as carriers of these microorganisms and further research is needed to fully understand their role.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Alicia Inurria, Angelo Santana, Ana B. Casal, Pascual Calabuig, Alejandro Suarez-Perez, Jorge Oros
Summary: This study compares the efficacy and effects on acid-base and electrolyte status of four different crystalloids in stranded sea turtles, and finds that the combination of 0.9% NaCl and lactated Ringer's solutions is the most effective in resolving acid-base and electrolyte abnormalities.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Erica Marchiori, Andrea Gustinelli, Viola Vignali, Sara Segati, Simone D'Acunto, Silvia Brandi, Jose Luis Crespo-Picazo, Federica Marcer
Summary: This study investigated the presence of the copepod B. manatorum in C. caretta turtles from the Northwestern Adriatic Sea and studied the relationship between infection rates and the occurrence of DTS. The results showed that the copepod is a common epibiont of turtles in this region, and individuals with DTS are more frequently infected and have higher parasite burdens. Therefore, proper treatment should be given to debilitated turtles to prevent and mitigate the effects of the parasite.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pilar Santidrian Tomillo, Francisca Pujol, Guillem Felix, Veronica Nunez-Reyes, Vincent Saba, Jesus Tomas, Adolfo Marco
Summary: Climate change can affect sea turtles' nesting beaches and their survival. In this study, the suitability of the Balearic Islands as a climate refuge for loggerhead turtles was assessed under different climate change scenarios. The results suggest that most beaches in the region could provide viable temperatures and predominantly produce male hatchlings. However, active management is necessary to protect nesting populations due to the popularity of these beaches as tourist destinations.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Giulia Mariani, Fabio Bellucci, Cristiano Cocumelli, Caterina Raso, Sandra Hochscheid, Chiara Roncari, Eliana Nerone, Sara Recchi, Federica Di Giacinto, Vincenzo Olivieri, Simone Pulsoni, Marco Matiddi, Cecilia Silvestri, Nicola Ferri, Ludovica Di Renzo
Summary: This study evaluated the gastrointestinal contents of 150 loggerhead sea turtles stranded and/or bycaught along the Italian coasts to assess the most common prey phyla. The study highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the feeding ecology and distribution of sea turtles at different developmental stages.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Berta Sala, Aleix Balasch, Ethel Eljarrat, Luis Cardona
Summary: Loggerhead turtles voluntarily ingest floating plastic debris and are chronically exposed to plastic additives. The presence of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in their tissues is mainly from ingestion of plastic debris rather than their prey, leading to biomagnification potential of certain OPEs in turtle muscle compared to their main prey. Regular ingestion of plastic debris and contamination from their prey may explain the significantly higher levels of OPEs in loggerhead turtles than in other marine animals in the western Mediterranean.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sara Abalo-Morla, Eduardo J. Belda, David March, Ohiana Revuelta, Luis Cardona, Silvia Giralt, Jose Luis Crespo-Picazo, Sandra Hochscheid, Adolfo Marco, Manuel Merchan, Ricardo Sagarminaga, Yonat Swimmer, Jesus Tomas
Summary: There are 264 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the western Mediterranean Sea, with 25 of them prioritizing the protection of loggerhead sea turtles. However, it is uncertain whether these MPAs are actually utilized by the turtles. Satellite tracking data of 103 loggerhead turtles over a 15-year period were analyzed, and it was found that the turtles visited several MPAs but rarely used them. Most of the core areas and high-density areas of the turtles were not included within any MPAs. These findings suggest that the existing MPAs may not contribute enough to loggerhead turtle conservation.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Juan Patino-Martinez, Jairson Veiga, Ines O. Afonso, Kate Yeoman, Jose Mangas-Vinuela, Gemma Charles
Summary: The study found that loggerhead turtles nest in different types of substrates, but the hatching success varies significantly. Substrates of volcanic origin with lower calcium carbonate content had the lowest hatching success, while light-colored substrates with higher calcium carbonate content produced more and larger offspring.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Giulia Baldi, Giovanni Furii, Massimo Del Vecchio, Pasquale Salvemini, Carola Vallini, Valeria Angelini, Sauro Pari, Kamyla Lombardi Moraes, Chiara Profico, Vincenzo Olivieri, Dimitris Margaritoulis, Alan F. Rees, Anxhela curri, Sandra Hochscheid, Daniela Freggi, Bojan Lazar, Paolo Luschi, Paolo Casale
Summary: Assessing sea turtle movements and connectivity is crucial for conservation. In the Adriatic Sea, 311 capture-mark-recapture records of loggerhead turtles from 1984 to 2021 were analyzed. The results indicate a general fidelity pattern to subareas in the Adriatic and a substantial connectivity with nesting sites in Greece. This study highlights the value of cooperation and shows the main behavioral pattern of fidelity to neritic foraging grounds.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rosa E. Rodriguez-Martinez, Guadalupe Quintana-Pali, Karla Trujano-Rivera, Roberto Herrera, Maria del Carmen Garcia-Rivas, Antonio Ortiz, Gerardo Castaneda, Gisela Maldonado, Eric Jordan-Dahlgren
Summary: The study assessed the nesting and hatching of loggerhead and green sea turtles along the Mexican Caribbean coast after massive influx of sargasso, finding that there was no significant impact on the turtles' numbers, with some indicators actually showing an increase.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
