Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Ademir S. Maruyama, Silvina Botta, Rodrigo F. Bastos, Andrine Paiva da Silva, Danielle S. Monteiro
Summary: This study characterized changes in diet composition and habitat use of the olive ridley turtle in southern Brazil. It found that the species mainly feeds on hermit crabs, gastropods, and crabs. Stable isotope analysis showed that juveniles primarily consume hermit crabs, while adults have a higher intake of salps. The research highlights the importance of the coast of southern Brazil for the conservation of olive ridley turtles.
Article
Ecology
Carla Carpena-Catoira, Christian D. Ortega-Ortiz, Marco A. Linan-Cabello, Aramis Olivos-Ortiz, Fernando R. Elorriaga-Verplancken
Summary: This study investigated the foraging aspects of olive ridley sea turtles in the Mexican Central Pacific using stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen. The results showed a wider isotopic niche width in adult turtles compared to subadults and an expanded feeding range during the rainy season. The study highlights the ecological importance of the MCP region for olive ridley sea turtles and emphasizes the need for conservation efforts.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vicente Olimon-Andalon, Jorge Valdes-Flores, Cesar Paul Ley-Quinonez, Alan A. Zavala-Norzagaray, A. Alonso Aguirre, Nidia Leon-Sicairos, Jorge Velazquez-Roman, Hector Flores-Villasenor, Erika Acosta-Smith, Igmar Sosa-Cornejo, Marco Valdez-Flores, Catherine Edwina Hart, Adrian Canizalez-Roman
Summary: Trace metals have been found in sea turtle blood and tissues, posing a threat to these endangered species. Essential trace metal concentrations in olive ridley turtles in Mexico showed higher levels of Zn and Cu compared to Cd and Pb, with low levels of As and Hg. Levels of Cd were relatively high compared to other sea turtle populations globally, and may pose the greatest risk to sea turtles in the Mexican Pacific.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Ninive Espinoza-Rodriguez, Daniela Rojas-Canizales, Carmen Mejias-Balsalobre, Isabel Naranjo, Randall Arauz
Summary: Understanding predation dynamics in sea turtle nesting beaches is crucial for effective beach management and conservation strategies. A study on Corozalito beach in Costa Rica revealed a significant increase in nest predation, with approximately 30% of nests being predated over a 13-year period. Monitoring nesting activity and assessing predation rates from other turtle species and mass nesting events is recommended to fully understand the threats faced by sea turtles in this important nesting site.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Regina L. Cunha, Adjany Costa, Filipa Godinho, Carmen Santos, Rita Castilho
Summary: The olive ridley sea turtle is widely distributed but vulnerable due to threats in nesting sites. Genetic data from Angola indicates low diversity but connectivity with other Atlantic populations.
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Christine Figgener, Joseph Bernardo, Pamela T. Plotkin
Summary: Effective conservation of highly migratory marine species is challenging due to the difficulties in identifying core areas and critical habitats, managing the high-seas, and dealing with the dynamic nature of the oceanic environment. This study successfully identified critical habitats for olive ridley turtles using two different approaches and found that they mainly utilize areas within EEZs.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Lenin Caceres-Farias, Eduardo Resendiz, Joelly Espinoza, Helena Fernandez-Sanz, Alonzo Alfaro-Nunez
Summary: The olive ridley turtle is the second smallest and most cosmopolitan sea turtle species in the world, but its populations have been declining rapidly in recent years. It nests in remote and unique beach locations and faces threats from anthropogenic activities, environmental factors, and climate change. Protecting the olive ridley turtle requires stronger conservation initiatives and policies worldwide to mitigate habitat degradation, pollution, and climate change impacts.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Alejandra Morales Merida, Aude Helier, Adriana A. Cortes-Gomez, Marc Girondot
Summary: In marine turtles, sex determination occurs during a specific period of incubation, with males produced at lower temperatures and females at higher temperatures. Despite expectations that darker sand beaches with higher temperatures would produce more female hatchlings, the opposite was observed, possibly due to high temperatures causing female embryo mortality.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ingmar Sosa-Cornejo, Luz Isela Peinado-Guevara, Hector Rafael Contreras-Aguilar, Fernando Enciso-Saracho, Mariano Sandoval-Bautista, Idelfonso Enciso-Padilla, Samuel Campista-Leon
Summary: The study conducted a quantitative evaluation of the protection program for olive ridley turtles on two beaches in Mexico, revealing that the incubation phase had the highest losses and emphasizing the need to improve management strategies for higher success rates.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liliana Areli Robledo-Avila, Bryan Victor Phillips-Farfan, Martha Harfush Melendez, Leonel Lopez Toledo, David Tafolla Venegas, Ma Antonia Herrera Vargas, Diana Vanessa Ruiz Cortes, Esperanza Melendez-Herrera
Summary: Ex-situ conservation in hatcheries can have negative impacts on immune traits of sea turtles, but can increase hatching and emergence success. Body size and spleen development are not influenced by sex, but are associated with ex-situ conservation efforts.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Alexis Ferrera, Angela Formia, Claudio Ciofi, Chiara Natali, Andrews Agyekumhene, Phil Allman
Summary: Population genetic structure of nesting olive ridley turtles in two coastal communities in Ghana indicates potential utilization of different migration routes or breeding grounds, reflecting genetic differences between the populations.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
J. L. Sandoval-Ramirez, E. Solana-Arellano
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of different incubation treatments on the hatching success and incubation period of olive ridley turtles in nesting areas with extreme climatic conditions. The results showed that the treatments had no effect on hatching success or incubation period but did influence the proportion of dead and crushed hatchlings. Additionally, nest relocation periods had no effect on hatching success or hatchling mortality rates. The study also found that the amount of seawater applied to the nests and the rate of irrigation did not negatively impact the incubating eggs but did prolong the incubation period.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sabine Rech, Joao Bosco Gusmao, Tim Kiessling, Valeria Hidalgo-Ruz, Erika Meerhoff, Magdalena Gatta-Rosemary, Charles Moore, Raquelle de Vine, Martin Thiel
Summary: This study is the first extensive study of marine invertebrates rafting on floating anthropogenic debris in the eastern SPSG. The complexity of the rafts was found to be the most important predictor of epibiont richness, while fouling cover was significantly correlated with raft volume and surface area. This suggests that the hyper-oligotrophic conditions of the SPSG limit fouling growth, and the nutrient gradient between HCS and SPSG acts as a filter for coastal taxa.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Ian Silver-Gorges, Jeroen Ingels, Giovanni A. P. dos Santos, Yirina Valdes, Leticia P. Pontes, Alexsandra C. Silva, Patricia F. Neres, Arvind Shantharam, Destin Perry, Andrew Richterkessing, Sofia Sanchez-Zarate, Laura Acevedo, Anthony J. Gillis, Simona A. Ceriani, Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes
Summary: Sea turtles face numerous threats during migrations and at foraging grounds. Analyzing epibionts of nesting turtles can provide insights into their foraging and spatial ecology. Certain epibiont taxa may indicate foraging regions used by loggerhead turtles.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Tabitha Renee Siegfried, Jackson Reimer, Emma Roberto, Christopher Noren, Alex Vidal, Kristi Dixon, Morgan DuBois, Susan E. Piacenza
Summary: This study utilized remote stereo-video cameras to observe sea turtle behavior in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The results showed that larger sea turtles had a greater wariness response and were startled at greater distances compared to smaller individuals. This study supports the use of stereo-video camera systems for non-invasive surveys to understand the relationship between sea turtle behavior and body size.