Article
Ecology
Jeffrey A. Seminoff, Lisa M. Komoroske, Diego Amorocho, Randall Arauz, Didiher Chacon-Chaverri, Nelly de Paz, Peter H. Dutton, Miguel Donoso, Maike Heidemeyer, Gabriel Hoeffer, T. Todd Jones, Shaleyla Kelez, Garrett E. Lemons, Juan M. Rguez-Baron, Laura Sampson, Lucia Santos Baca, Todd Steiner, Maria Vejar Rubio, Patricia Zarate, Alan Zavala-Norzagaray, Brian N. Popp
Summary: Understanding trophic position and niche width is crucial for studying the ecology of species, particularly for elusive marine animals like sea turtles. Stable isotope analysis can provide insights into their dietary habits and habitat preferences, shedding light on their adaptability to changing environments.
Article
Oceanography
Carmen Mejias-Balsalobre, Jaime Restrepo, Gilberto Borges, Raul Garcia, Daniela Rojas-Canizales, Hector Barrios-Garrido, Roldan A. Valverde
Summary: Despite being recognized globally as an example of ecotourism, the village of Tortuguero still faces challenges with poaching of sea turtle nests and egg trade. The local community has varying perceptions and attitudes towards the consumption and trade of sea turtle eggs, with awareness of negative impacts on the economy, tourism, and conservation. However, traditional practices, easy access to eggs, and persistent beliefs in their aphrodisiac properties continue to drive consumption, despite efforts to reduce it.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biology
Laura Pages Barcelo, Jeffrey A. Seminoff, Hannah B. Vander Zanden, T. Todd Jones, Karen A. Bjorndal, Alan B. Bolten, Walter Mustin, Geraldine Busquets-Vass, Seth D. Newsome
Summary: The study estimated the net discrimination factors of δH-2 in captive green turtles, finding systematic variations in δH-2 and net discrimination factors among different tissues. Adult female green turtles had lower δH-2 values compared to juveniles, possibly due to reproduction-related increase in lipid mobilization.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Margaret M. Lamont, Allison M. Benscoter, Kristen M. Hart
Summary: Globally, Marine Protected Areas play a crucial role in conserving large marine vertebrates. A recent study conducted in the northern Gulf of Mexico revealed the migration and foraging patterns of green turtles using satellite tagging technology. The findings indicated that certain key sites outside of protected areas, such as Cape Sable in Florida and the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, are important for the conservation and identification of critical habitat for nesting green turtles.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Thanaporn Chuen-Im, Korapan Sawetsuwannakun, Pimmnapar Neesanant, Nakarin Kitkumthorn
Summary: An early intervention program at STCCT for sea turtle conservation faced high mortality rates due to bacterial infections. Monitoring of antibiotic resistance in seawater from juvenile green turtle holding tanks showed an increase in resistant bacteria, particularly against beta-lactam antibiotics. This study highlights the importance of assessing antibiotic-resistant bacteria in sea turtle rearing seawater for effective management.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Brian M. Shamblin, Kristen M. Hart, Margaret M. Lamont, Donna J. Shaver, Peter H. Dutton, Erin L. LaCasella, Campbell J. Nairn
Summary: Genetic study reveals that the Gulf of Mexico coast and offshore waters of the United States serve as important nursery habitats for green turtles of Mexican origin, emphasizing the necessity of international collaboration for the conservation of these populations.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Eduardo Resendiz, Helena Fernandez-Sanz, Jose Francisco Dominguez-Contreras, Amelly Hyldai Ramos-Diaz, Agnese Mancini, Alan A. Zavala-Norzagaray, A. Alonso Aguirre
Summary: The emergence of fibropapillomatosis in sea turtles in the Baja California peninsula may be linked to factors such as population growth, surge of tourism, pollution, and increased fisheries. A black turtle with fibropapilloma and chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 was found in a key foraging area in the Mexican Pacific, posing a potential risk to the turtle population. Molecular analysis revealed a high alignment with the Scutavirus of the Eastern Pacific group, showing the need for further research and conservation strategies in the region.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Oguz Turkozan, Vasiliki Almpanidou, Can Yilmaz, Antonios D. Mazaris
Summary: Sea turtles are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to their reproductive success and offspring sex ratios being dependent on nest conditions, particularly temperature. Research shows that while green turtle eggs may show some resilience to rising temperatures, hatching success declines after prolonged exposure to temperatures exceeding 33 degrees Celsius. Under a moderate climate scenario, the number of days above lethal thresholds is projected to increase significantly by 2100, raising concerns about the future of sea turtle populations.
Article
Biology
Rocio Alvarez-Varas, Noemi Rojas-Hernandez, Maike Heidemeyer, Cynthia Riginos, Hugo A. Benitez, Raul Araya-Donoso, Eduardo Resendiz, Monica Lara-Uc, Daniel A. Godoy, Juan Pablo Munoz-Perez, Daniela E. Alarcon-Ruales, Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto, Clara Ortiz-Alvarez, Jeffrey C. Mangel, Juliana A. Vianna, David Veliz
Summary: This study used a genome approach to uncover the genetic and ecological differences between shape-based morphotypes of the green turtle in the Pacific Ocean, supporting the uniqueness of the black turtle at the genetic level and its adaptation to the environment. These findings contribute to the research in evolutionary biology and conservation genomics.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Wei-Rung Chou, Po-Yu Wu, Tsung-Hsien Li
Summary: Data from stranded sea turtles can reveal the negative impact of human activities on turtle populations. This study used principal component analysis and structural equation modeling to identify potential causes of sea turtle strandings in Taiwan. While offshore wind turbines were not found to have a significant impact, the study did highlight the effects of coral colony density, heavy metals, and fishing disturbance on the strandings. PCA and SEM should be incorporated in future assessments of anthropogenic impacts for the conservation of endangered sea turtles.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Wen-Lin Wang, Pei-Lun Sun, Chi-Fei Kao, Wen-Ta Li, I-Jiunn Cheng, Pin-Huan Yu
Summary: This study reports a rare systemic C. palmioleophila infection in a sub-adult green sea turtle, which eventually died at 7.5 months after rescue. Postmortem examination revealed disseminated yeast in multiple organs. The aim of this research is to enhance veterinary medical care and conservation efforts for endangered sea turtles.
Article
Microbiology
Lucia Diaz-Abad, Natassia Bacco-Mannina, Fernando Miguel Madeira, Ester A. Serrao, Aissa Regalla, Ana R. Patricio, Pedro R. Frade
Summary: The study characterized the gut microbiome of green sea turtles and their food items, finding Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes as the most abundant bacterial phyla. Two red algae bacterial indicators were also identified in the cloacal compartments, suggesting the ingestion of microbial components that assist in digesting these food items.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Fatima Yedith Camacho-Sanchez, A. Alonso Aguirre, Jose Alberto Narvaez-Zapata, Alan A. Zavala-Norzagaray, Cesar P. Ley-Quinonez, H. Hugo Acosta-Sanchez, Hervey Rodriguez-Gonzalez, Carlos Delgado-Trejo, Miguel Angel Reyes-Lopez
Summary: The study used COI DNA barcoding to characterize genetic diversity and parameters of green turtles in Mexico, identifying new haplotypes and confirming the usefulness of DNA barcodes in assessing population diversity. The analysis revealed similarities between green turtles in the Mexican Pacific and some Australian and Chinese turtles, while showing differences from turtles in the Mexican Atlantic.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Violaine Dolfo, Cecile Gaspar, Jerome Bourjea, Miri Tatarata, Serge Planes, Emilie Boissin
Summary: This study provides the first assessment of the genetic structure of green turtle populations within French Polynesia and fills an essential data gap regarding the genetic diversity of the species and its connectivity to other feeding grounds in the Pacific Ocean. The French Polynesian populations appear to be important contributors to the overall genetic diversity of the species, isolated from other Pacific populations, thus making them essential within the Pacific region. These results have important implications for the conservation of the species at both local and regional scales.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fernando Miguel Madeira, Rui Rebelo, Paulo Catry, Joao Neiva, Castro Barbosa, Aissa Regalla, Ana Rita Patricio
Summary: Green turtles heavily rely on neritic foraging areas throughout their lives. Our study in Guinea-Bissau reveals that green sea turtles from different life stages vary in their distribution, food preferences, and habitat use within a foraging aggregation.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Joy L. Shih, Karen E. Selph, Christopher B. Wall, Natalie J. Wallsgrove, Michael P. Lesser, Brian N. Popp
Article
Ecology
Christopher B. Wall, Mario Kaluhiokalani, Brian N. Popp, Megan J. Donahue, Ruth D. Gates
Article
Oceanography
Cecelia C. S. Hannides, Brian N. Popp, Hilary G. Close, Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson, Cassie A. Ka'apu-Lyons, Kristen Gloeckler, Natalie Wallsgrove, Blaire Umhau, Emily Palmer, Jeffrey C. Drazen
PROGRESS IN OCEANOGRAPHY
(2020)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Joseph K. Fackrell, Craig R. Glenn, Donald Thomas, Robert Whittier, Brian N. Popp
HYDROGEOLOGY JOURNAL
(2020)
Article
Oceanography
Andrew K. Tokuda, Jeffrey C. Drazen, Mackenzie E. Gerringer, Brian N. Popp, Eleanna Grammatopoulou, Daniel J. Mayor
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART I-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Laura C. Motta, Joel D. Blum, Brian N. Popp, Jeffrey C. Drazen, Hilary G. Close
Article
Limnology
Sonia Romero-Romero, Cassie A. Ka'apu-Lyons, Blaire P. Umhau, Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson, Cecelia C. S. Hannides, Hilary G. Close, Jeffrey C. Drazen, Brian N. Popp
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY LETTERS
(2020)
Article
Water Resources
Daniel Dores, Craig R. Glenn, Giuseppe Torri, Robert B. Whittier, Brian N. Popp
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2020)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Joy L. Shih, Brian N. Popp
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joel D. Blum, Jeffrey C. Drazen, Marcus W. Johnson, Brian N. Popp, Laura C. Motta, Alan J. Jamieson
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)
Article
Limnology
Shannon C. Doherty, Amy E. Maas, Deborah K. Steinberg, Brian N. Popp, Hilary G. Close
Summary: This study evaluates the effectiveness of compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA-AA) in chemically identifying fecal pellets as a component of particulate organic matter, and proposes using CSIA-AA to calculate the relative trophic position of zooplankton and their fecal pellets to estimate the dietary absorption efficiency of zooplankton.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Christopher B. Wall, Natalie J. Wallsgrove, Ruth D. Gates, Brian N. Popp
Summary: Compound-specific isotope analyses (CSIA) and multivariate isotope fingerprinting were used to track biosynthetic sources and reveal trophic interactions in a marine symbiosis study of reef coral (Montipora capitata) and Symbiodiniaceae algae. Results showed overlap in essential amino acid carbon and nitrogen isotopes between hosts and symbionts, with a high correlation between trophic nitrogen isotopes and plankton end-members indicating trophic connections and dietary sources.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura C. Motta, Joel D. Blum, Brian N. Popp, Blaire P. Umhau, Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson, Hilary G. Close, Spencer J. Washburn, Jeffrey C. Drazen
Summary: This study used mercury stable isotope ratios to investigate the cycling of methylmercury in marine particles and biota. The findings suggest that methylmercury is preferentially methylated within small marine particles and that these particles undergo more significant microbial decomposition compared to larger particles. The study also found that large particles in the equatorial ocean resemble fecal pellets and are distinct from small particles. The research provides additional evidence for methylation within marine particles and demonstrates the origin of mercury in different marine organisms.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michelle Gelippi, Brian Popp, Marco F. W. Gauger, Javier Caraveo-Patino