Article
Biology
Bianca S. Santos, Larry B. Crowder
Summary: Media plays a crucial role in informing individuals about less observable topics, such as remote environmental issues and wildlife. However, the media's disproportionate focus on threats like pollution and resource use in sea turtle conservation may not align with scientific consensus, potentially leading to public misinformation.
Article
Fisheries
Catalina Vasquez-Carrillo, Manuela Pelaez-Ossa
Summary: The waters of the Guajira peninsula in Colombia support unique marine ecosystems and fisheries that indigenous communities rely on for subsistence. Climate change has impacted the local livelihoods, increasing dependence on fisheries. By collecting traditional ecological knowledge from local fishermen, this study adds understanding to the fisheries and biodiversity of Guajira, supporting future management efforts in the face of climate challenges.
FISHERIES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Micah Ashford, James Watling, Kristen Hart
Summary: Human use of oceans has increased dramatically in the 21st century, posing a significant threat to sea turtles. However, little is known about the interaction between movement and threats for male sea turtles. This study used satellite tagging to track 40 adult male sea turtles of different species and found that green turtles and Kemp's ridleys faced the highest threats in the northern and southern latitudes. The study also showed that marine protected areas (MPAs) could be an effective conservation tool in reducing threat exposure for sea turtles.
Article
Women's Studies
Laura Navarro-Mantas, Soledad de Lemus, Jesus L. Megias
Summary: The survey reveals that violence against women in El Salvador is a serious issue, with women who have experienced violence showing poorer mental health. Common mental disorders are significantly associated with all forms of violence, indicating the need for more effective public policies to address this problem.
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
(2021)
Article
Oceanography
Danielle Rodrigues Awabdi, Inacio Abreu Pestana, Ana Cristina Vigliar Bondioli, Camilah Antunes Zappes, Ana Paula Madeira Di Beneditto
Summary: The study found that incidental capture of sea turtles in fisheries is a significant issue along the coast of Rio de Janeiro State, southeast Brazil, with the green sea turtle being the most observed and captured species. Gillnets, bottom trawl nets, and hooked lines are the primary fishing gear responsible for these captures. While most fishers believe it is difficult to avoid incidental captures, they usually release the captured sea turtles regardless of their physical condition, highlighting the need for increased information dissemination and training to improve conservation efforts.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Cesar Marcial Escobedo-Bonilla, Noelia Maria Quiros-Rojas, Esteban Rudin-Salazar
Summary: Sea turtles are vital members of marine ecosystems, and conservation efforts are crucial to protect them. Environmental enrichment is a valuable tool to improve the welfare of sea turtles in captivity and rehabilitation, increasing their chances of survival and integration back into the wild after release. Adopting environmental enrichment practices in rescue and rehabilitation facilities globally can help enhance individual survival and conservation efforts for endangered species.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Shreya M. Banerjee, Jamie Adkins Stoll, Camryn D. Allen, Jennifer M. Lynch, Heather S. Harris, Lauren Kenyon, Richard E. Connon, Eleanor J. Sterling, Eugenia Naro-Maciel, Kathryn McFadden, Margaret M. Lamont, James Benge, Nadia B. Fernandez, Jeffrey A. Seminoff, Scott R. Benson, Rebecca L. Lewison, Tomoharu Eguchi, Tammy M. Summers, Jessy R. Hapdei, Marc R. Rice, Summer Martin, T. Todd Jones, Peter H. Dutton, George H. Balazs, Lisa M. Komoroske
Summary: Transcriptomic data has demonstrated the utility of physiological diversity and responses to environmental stressors in marine turtles. The study generated high quality blood transcriptome assemblies for multiple turtle species, showing distinct gene expression signatures between species and foraging aggregations, providing valuable insights into functional genomics underlying diversity and evolutionary ecology in marine turtles.
Article
Physiology
Nathan J. Robinson, Daniel Garcia-Parraga, Brian A. Stacy, Alexander M. Costidis, Gabriela S. Blanco, Chelsea E. Clyde-Brockway, Heather L. Haas, Craig A. Harms, Samir H. Patel, Nicole I. Stacy, Andreas Fahlman
Summary: Through building a mathematical model and observing sea turtles in the wild, this study found that cardiac output plays a significant role in modulating gas embolism (GE) risk, especially in deeper dives. Sea turtles have a high risk of GE during routine diving behavior, indicating potential behavioral, anatomical, and physiological adaptations that were not incorporated in the model. Identifying and incorporating these adaptations in future iterations will further reveal the factors driving GE in sea turtles.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Lynn M. Massey, Shannon Penna, Eric Zahn, Dan Lawson, Cassandra M. Davis
Summary: The East Pacific population of green sea turtles has been growing, leading to more sightings along the U.S. West Coast. Through citizen science data, it has been found that the green sea turtles reside near the San Gabriel River in California and are attracted to areas near wetlands and a power plant warm water effluent area for foraging and thermal refuge. Monitoring programs and understanding habitat needs are recommended to conserve this threatened population. Citizen science has proven beneficial in monitoring sea turtle populations in accessible habitats.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Daniel Solon Dias de Farias, Aline da Costa Bomfim Ventura, Flavio Jose de Lima Silva, Raquel Marinho de Souza Cavalcante, Silmara Rossi, Simone Almeida Gavilan, Vinicius Gabriel da Silva Santana, Viviane Souza do Amaral
Summary: Studies on quantification of anthropogenic marine debris (AMD) ingested by green turtles are rare. This study used the alimentary index (IAi) to classify and quantify AMD in stranded green turtles. The results showed that transparent soft plastic was an accessory item for all size groups and the second most frequent item for juvenile turtles (IAi = 0.23).
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sara E. Heisel, Elizabeth King, Francis Lekanta, Francis Lemoile, Camilla Ryan, Isaya Lemerketo, Siva Sundaresan, Erin Malsbury, Brett Bruyere
Summary: The study found that the incentive strategies commonly used by international conservation organizations may not align with the perspectives of local residents. While most residents felt they had agency to influence wildlife populations and reported economic incentives as primary motivations, they did not place as much importance on the concepts of rarity and extinction as based on Western-based science.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lourdes Martinez-Estevez, Juan Pablo Cuevas Amador, Felipe Cuevas Amador, Kelly M. Zilliacus, Anuar Martinez Pacheco, Jeffrey A. Seminoff, Jesus Lucero, Karen Oceguera, Bernie R. Tershy, Donald A. Croll
Summary: Understanding the movement patterns and habitat preferences of endangered hawksbill sea turtles, especially their association with mangrove estuaries, is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies. The fine-scale resident behavior of hawksbill turtles in foraging grounds presents a unique conservation opportunity.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Steven D. Melvin, Duane T. March, Kieren Marshall, Anthony R. Carroll, Jason P. van de Merwe
Summary: Sea turtles are often admitted to rehabilitation clinics with malnutrition and ketosis. Metabolomics analysis identified predictive metabolites for mortality, highlighting severe malnutrition as a major cause of death during rehabilitation. This study showcases the potential of advanced molecular techniques in veterinary medicine and conservation science.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Calandra N. Turner Tomaszewicz, Michael J. Liles, Larisa Avens, Jeffrey A. Seminoff
Summary: In the eastern Pacific Ocean, hawksbill sea turtles have adapted to use coastal habitats but are at high risk due to fishing efforts, habitat degradation, and climate change. Understanding their habitat use and movement patterns is crucial for conservation efforts.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Julia Osterman, Patricia Landaverde-Gonzalez, Michael P. D. Garratt, Megan Gee, Yael Mandelik, Aleksandra Langowska, Marcos Minarro, Lorna J. Cole, Maxime Eeraerts, Danilo Bevk, Omri Avrech, Zbigniew Koltowski, Flor Itzel Trujillo-Elisea, Robert J. Paxton, Virgine Boreux, Colleen L. Seymour, Brad G. Howlett
Summary: Farmers perceive bees as more important pollinators, but also acknowledge the contribution of non-bees to crop pollination. Their perceptions align closely with scientific studies and influence their pollinator management practices.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)