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Lamont MM, Slone D, Reid JP, Butler SM, Alday J. Deep vs shallow: GPS tags reveal a dichotomy in movement patterns of loggerhead turtles foraging in a coastal bay. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:40. [PMID: 38816732 PMCID: PMC11140867 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00480-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individual variation in movement strategies of foraging loggerhead turtles have been documented on the scale of tens to hundreds of kilometers within single ocean basins. Use of different strategies among individuals may reflect variations in resources, predation pressure or competition. It is less common for individual turtles to use different foraging strategies on the scale of kilometers within a single coastal bay. We used GPS tags capable of back-filling fine-scale locations to document movement patterns of loggerhead turtles in a coastal bay in Northwest Florida, U.S.A. METHODS Iridium-linked GPS tags were deployed on loggerhead turtles at a neritic foraging site in Northwest Florida. After filtering telemetry data, point locations were transformed to movement lines and then merged with the original point file to define travel paths and assess travel speed. Home ranges were determined using kernel density function. Diurnal behavioral shifts were examined by examining turtle movements compared to solar time. RESULTS Of the 11 turtles tagged, three tracked turtles remained in deep (~ 6 m) water for almost the entire tracking period, while all other turtles undertook movements from deep water locations, located along edges and channels, to shallow (~ 1-2 m) shoals at regular intervals and primarily at night. Three individuals made short-term movements into the Gulf of Mexico when water temperatures dropped, and movement speeds in the Gulf were greater than those in the bay. Turtles exhibited a novel behavior we termed drifting. CONCLUSIONS This study highlighted the value provided to fine-scale movement studies for species such as sea turtles that surface infrequently by the ability of these GPS tags to store and re-upload data. Future use of these tags at other loggerhead foraging sites, and concurrent with diving and foraging data, would provide a powerful tool to better understand fine-scale movement patterns of sea turtles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M Lamont
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA.
| | - Daniel Slone
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA
| | - James P Reid
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA
| | - Susan M Butler
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA
| | - Joseph Alday
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA
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Mihaljević Ž, Naletilić Š, Jeremić J, Kilvain I, Belaj T, Andreanszky T. Spatiotemporal Analysis of Stranded Loggerhead Sea Turtles on the Croatian Adriatic Coast. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:703. [PMID: 38473088 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the spatiotemporal trends of loggerhead turtles along the Croatian Adriatic coast by using stranding data and post-mortem analyses. Information on 620 loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), collected in the period between 2010 and 2022, has been analysed. Seasonal stranding variations reveal distinct patterns, indicating season-specific abundance and age-specific mortality in different areas, particularly in the key neritic habitat of the northern Adriatic. The analysis identifies four critical areas in the northeast and central Adriatic showing high stranding densities and provides regional managers with a tool with which to effectively conserve and manage this species. Fishing-induced mortality, collision with vessels, and potential cold stunning are identified as major threats to loggerhead turtles. Post-mortem investigations reveal that longline fishing gear and collisions with vessels are significant age-specific mortality contributors, underscoring the need for targeted conservation efforts in high-risk areas. The study acknowledges potential biases in strandings records but highlights the importance of post-mortem investigations in understanding mortality causes. The findings provide valuable insights for improving conservation strategies, emphasizing the importance of focused surveillance and conservation efforts in identified high-risk locations to mitigate human-turtle interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Željko Mihaljević
- Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska Cesta 143, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Šimun Naletilić
- Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska Cesta 143, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Jasna Jeremić
- Ministry of Environment and Energy, Radnička Cesta 80/7, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Iva Kilvain
- Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska Cesta 143, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tina Belaj
- Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kaštel 24, 51551 Veli Lošinj, Croatia
| | - Tibor Andreanszky
- Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska Cesta 143, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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Moretti S, Brambilla G, Maffucci F, Barola C, Bucaletti E, Hochscheid S, Canzanella S, Galarini R, Esposito M. Occurrence and pattern of legacy and emerging per- and Poly-FluoroAlkyl substances (PFAS) in eggs of loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta from western Mediterranean. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 343:123257. [PMID: 38159636 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Per-and Poly-FluoroAlkyl Substances (PFAS) are a class of persistent, toxic, and mobile and chemicals both from industrial sources and from the use and disposal of Consumers products containing PFAS, whose concentration in marine food webs could pose a toxicological risk for biota and humans. In 2021, unhatched eggs were sampled from 41 loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta nests from the Italian shores of the Campania Region (Southern Italy). Whole eggs were analysed for the presence of 66 legacy and emerging PFAS with Liquid Chromatography coupled to Hybrid High Resolution Mass Spectrometry. A median Σ66 Per- and Poly-FluoroAlkyl Substances value of 3.34 ng/g egg fresh weight was found; perfluoroctane sulfonate (PFOS) represented the most contributing congener (47%), followed by perfluoro-n-undecanoic acid, perfluoro-n-tridecanoic acid, perfluoro-n-decanoic acid, perfluoro-n-decanoic acid, and perfluoro-n-tetradecanoic acid, respectively. Such compounds showed a log-norm distribution, suggesting found concentrations could represent the baseline levels in the considered sampling area. Emerging ChloroPolyFluoroPolyEthers Carboxylic Acids (ClPFECAs) were found in 20 out of 41 samples in the range 0.01-1.59 ng/g. Four samples had 20-100 fold higher concentration compared to that of other samples, suggesting the presence of hot spot areas possibly related to presence of fluoropolymer-based marine litter turtles may ingest. The analysis of two paired eggs/liver samples recovered from stranded animals revealed PFAS concentration in the same order of magnitude, supporting the role of vitellogenin in their selective transfer to yolk. Significant (P = 0.0155) Kendall negative correlation coefficient of -0.2705 among PFOS content in eggs and the recorded hatching success prompts for further investigation on associated exposure assessment and related eco-toxicity risk. This work reports for the first time PFAS presence in georeferenced loggerhead turtle eggs of the Mediterranean Sea and results represent a starting point to study PFAS time-trends in this vulnerable species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Moretti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Dell'Umbria e Delle Marche, Via G. Salvemini, 1 06126, Perugia, Italy.
| | | | - Fulvio Maffucci
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, 80055, Portici, Italy.
| | - Carolina Barola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Dell'Umbria e Delle Marche, Via G. Salvemini, 1 06126, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Elisabetta Bucaletti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Dell'Umbria e Delle Marche, Via G. Salvemini, 1 06126, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Sandra Hochscheid
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, 80055, Portici, Italy.
| | - Silvia Canzanella
- Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'Analisi e Studio di Correlazione Tra Ambiente, Animale e Uomo, IZS Mezzogiorno, Via Salute 2, 80055 Portici Italy.
| | - Roberta Galarini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Dell'Umbria e Delle Marche, Via G. Salvemini, 1 06126, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Mauro Esposito
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, 80055, Portici, Italy.
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Esposito M, Canzanella S, Iaccarino D, Bruno T, Esposito E, Di Nocera F, Arienzo M, Ferrara L, Gallo P. Levels of non-dioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs) in liver of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from the Tyrrhenian Sea (Southern Italy). CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 308:136393. [PMID: 36096300 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The levels of six non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180) were determined in the liver of 84 loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) stranded along the coasts of the Tyrrhenian Sea in Campania Region (Southern Italy), from 2017 to 2021. The average value of the sum (∑6PCBIND) was 28.0 ± 52.2 ng/g (w.w.). The hexachlorobiphenyls PCB 153 and PCB 138 and the heptachlorobiphenyl PCB 180 were the main contributors to the ∑6PCBIND. A weak positive correlation was found between CCL and highly chlorinated PCBs, with adult females having lower PCB concentrations than juvenile females and adult males. This study provides more comprehensive information on the levels of NDL-PCB in Mediterranean loggerhead turtles and sets the basis for assessing anthropogenic impacts on this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Esposito
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2 - Portici, Italy; Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'Analisi e Studio di Correlazione tra Ambiente, Animale e Uomo, IZS Mezzogiorno, Portici, Italy
| | - Silvia Canzanella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2 - Portici, Italy; Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'Analisi e Studio di Correlazione tra Ambiente, Animale e Uomo, IZS Mezzogiorno, Portici, Italy.
| | - Doriana Iaccarino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2 - Portici, Italy
| | - Teresa Bruno
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2 - Portici, Italy
| | - Emanuele Esposito
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2 - Portici, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Nocera
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2 - Portici, Italy
| | - Michele Arienzo
- Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Resources, University of Naples Federico II, Via Vicinale Cupa Cintia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Luciano Ferrara
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Vicinale Cupa Cintia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Pasquale Gallo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2 - Portici, Italy
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Hochscheid S, Maffucci F, Abella E, Bradai MN, Camedda A, Carreras C, Claro F, de Lucia GA, Jribi I, Mancusi C, Marco A, Marrone N, Papetti L, Revuelta O, Urso S, Tomás J. Nesting range expansion of loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean: Phenology, spatial distribution, and conservation implications. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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Assessing the use of marine protected areas by loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) tracked from the western Mediterranean. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Blasi MF, Avino P, Notardonato I, Di Fiore C, Mattei D, Gauger MFW, Gelippi M, Cicala D, Hochscheid S, Camedda A, de Lucia GA, Favero G. Phthalate esters (PAEs) concentration pattern reflects dietary habitats (δ 13C) in blood of Mediterranean loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 239:113619. [PMID: 35605320 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are classified as endocrine disruptors, but it remains unclear if they can enter the marine food-web and result in severe health effects for organisms. Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) can be chronically exposed to PAEs by ingesting plastic debris, but no information is available about PAEs levels in blood, and how these concentrations are related to diet during different life stages. This paper investigated, for the first time, six PAEs in blood of 18 wild-caught Mediterranean loggerhead turtles throughout solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography-ion trap/mass spectrometry. Stable isotope analyses of carbon and nitrogen were also performed to assess the resource use pattern of loggerhead turtles. DEHP (12-63 ng mL-1) and DBP (6-57 ng mL-1) were the most frequently represented PAEs, followed by DiBP, DMP, DEP and DOP. The total PAEs concentration was highest in three turtles (124-260 ng mL-1) whereas three other turtles had concentrations below the detection limit. PAEs were clustered in three groups according to concentration in all samples: DEHP in the first group, DBP, DEP, and DiBP in the second group, and DOP and DMP in the third group. The total phthalates concentration did not differ between large-sized (96.3 ± 86.0 ng mL-1) and small-sized (67.1 ± 34.2 ng mL-1) turtles (p < 0.001). However, DMP and DEP were found only in large-sized turtles and DiBP and DBP had higher concentrations in large-sized turtles. On the other hand, DEHP and DOP were found in both small- and large-sized turtles with similar concentrations, i.e. ~ 21.0/32.0 ng mL-1 and ~ 7.1/9.9 ng mL-1, respectively. Winsored robust models indicated that δ13C is a good predictor for DBP and DiBP concentrations (significant Akaike Information criterion weight, AICwt). Our results indicate that blood is a good matrix to evaluate acute exposure to PAEs in marine turtles. Moreover, this approach is here suggested as a useful tool to explain the internal dose of PAEs in term of dietary habits (δ13C), suggesting that all marine species at high trophic levels may be particularly exposed to PAEs, despite their different dietary habitats and levels of exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Francesca Blasi
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", Roma, RM, Italy; Dipartimento Ambiente e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, RM, Italy; Filicudi WildLife Conservation, Via Stimpagnato Filicudi, Lipari 98055, ME, Italy.
| | - Pasquale Avino
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, University of Molise, Via De Sanctis, Campobasso I-86100, Italy
| | - Ivan Notardonato
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, University of Molise, Via De Sanctis, Campobasso I-86100, Italy
| | - Cristina Di Fiore
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, University of Molise, Via De Sanctis, Campobasso I-86100, Italy
| | - Daniela Mattei
- Dipartimento Ambiente e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, RM, Italy
| | | | - Michelle Gelippi
- Filicudi WildLife Conservation, Via Stimpagnato Filicudi, Lipari 98055, ME, Italy
| | - Davide Cicala
- Laboratory of Experimental Ecology and Aquaculture, Department of Biology - University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Sandra Hochscheid
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, Portici 80055, Italy
| | - Andrea Camedda
- IAS-CNR Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council Oristano Section, Località Sa Mardini, Torregrande, OR 09170, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia
- IAS-CNR Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council Oristano Section, Località Sa Mardini, Torregrande, OR 09170, Italy
| | - Gabriele Favero
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", Roma, RM, Italy
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Santoro M, Palomba M, Modica MV. Larvae of Sulcascaris sulcata (Nematoda: Anisakidae), a parasite of sea turtles, infect the edible purple dye murex Bolinus brandaris in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Food Control 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Martínez-López E, Herrero D, López-Berenguer G, Peñalver J. Total Arsenic Concentrations in Sea Turtle Tissues from the Mediterranean Coast of Spain. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2021; 107:820-826. [PMID: 33978774 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-021-03255-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this work we studied total arsenic concentrations in liver, muscle and kidney of 49 individuals of two sea turtle species (loggerhead sea turtles, n = 45; leatherback turtles, n = 4) stranded in Murcia (South-eastern Spain) coastline between 2009 and 2018. In accordance with the literature, muscle was the tissue with the highest concentrations in both species, followed by liver and kidney. Although differences in arsenic concentrations were not statistically significant between the study species, loggerhead sea turtles showed concentrations two or three times higher than those of leatherback turtles, which we attribute to differences on feeding behavior and habitat preferences. Arsenic concentrations in turtles from this area increase evidence of western Mediterranean Sea as a hotspot for metal pollution. Based on the scarce existing knowledge on arsenic toxicity in sea turtles, those levels found in our study are below those responsible for liver damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Martínez-López
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
- Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
| | - D Herrero
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - G López-Berenguer
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - J Peñalver
- Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (CARM), 30100, Murcia, Spain
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