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Maneja RH, Miller JD, Flint JB, Alcaria JFA, Basali AU, Flandez AVB, Gopalan J, Duraisamy T, Abrogueña JBR, Bawazier AA, Das PB, Manokaran S, Asiri YY, Qasem A, Asfahani K, Qurban MAB. Extreme conditions reduce hatching success of green turtles (Chelonia mydas L.) at Karan Island, the major nesting site in the Arabian Gulf. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 190:114801. [PMID: 36965265 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114801] [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: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Survival in the early life stages is a major factor determining the growth and stability of wildlife populations. For sea turtles, nest location must provide favorable conditions to support embryonic development. Hatching success and incubation environment of green turtle eggs were examined in July 2019 at Karan Island, a major nesting site for the species in the Arabian Gulf. Mean hatching success averaged at 38.8 % (range = 2.5-75.0 %, n = 14). Eggs that suffered early embryonic death (EED) and late embryonic death (LED) represented 19.8 % (range: 3.3-64.2 %) and 41.4 % (range: 4.8-92.6 %) of the clutch on average, respectively. Nest sand was either coarse (0.5-1 mm: mean 44.8 %, range = 30.4-56.9 % by dry weight, n = 14) or medium (0.25-0.5 mm: mean 33.6 %, range = 12.0-45.5 % by dry weight, n = 14). Mean sand moisture (4.0 %, range = 3.2-4.9 %, n = 14) was at the lower margin for successful development. Hatching success was significantly higher in clutches with sand salinity <1500 EC.uS/cm (n = 5) than those above 2500 EC.uS/cm (n = 5). Mean clutch temperatures at 1200 h increased by an average of 5.4 °C during the 50-d post-oviposition from 31.2 °C to 36.6 °C. Embryos experienced lethally high temperatures in addition to impacts of other environmental factors (salinity, moisture, sand grain size), which was related to reduced hatching success. Conservation initiatives must consider the synergistic influence of the above parameters in formulating strategies to improve the overall resilience of the green turtle population in the Arabian Gulf to anthropogenic and climate change-related stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- R H Maneja
- Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
| | - J D Miller
- Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - J B Flint
- One Welfare and Sustainability Center, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, OH, USA
| | - J F A Alcaria
- Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - A U Basali
- Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - A V B Flandez
- Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - J Gopalan
- Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - T Duraisamy
- Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - J B R Abrogueña
- Environmental Protection and Control Department, Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries, Saudi Arabia
| | - A A Bawazier
- Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - P B Das
- Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - S Manokaran
- Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - Y Y Asiri
- Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - A Qasem
- Environmental Protection Department, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - K Asfahani
- Environmental Protection Department, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - M A B Qurban
- National Center for Wildlife, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Zhu Q, Lin L, Kong F, Zhang T, Shi H. Nocturnal emergence facilitated by thermally‐induced hatching in the Chinese softshell turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9922. [PMID: 36969933 PMCID: PMC10034484 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The coincidence of hatching and emergence events with favorable conditions is crucial for turtle survival. Nocturnal emergence has been widely documented across marine and freshwater turtles, and has long been suggested as an adaptive behavior that reduces risks of heat stress and predation. To our knowledge, however, studies related to nocturnal emergence have mainly focused on the post‐hatching behaviors of turtles, and very few experimental studies have been performed to investigate the effects of hatching time on the distribution of emergence times over the course of a day. Here, we visually monitored the activity of the Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)—a shallow‐nesting freshwater turtle—from hatching to emergence. Our study provides evidence for the novel finding that (i) the timing of synchronous hatching events in P. sinensis coincides with the time of day when nest temperatures decrease, (ii) the synchrony between hatching and emergence may further facilitate their nocturnal emergence, and (iii) synchronous behaviors of hatchlings in the nest may be effective in reducing the risk of hatchling predation, and predation is more likely to occur in the asynchronous hatching groups. This study suggests that the hatching of shallow‐nesting P. sinensis in response to temperature changes in the nest might be an adaptive nocturnal emergence strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingjun Zhu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Liu Lin
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Fei Kong
- Shaanxi Provincial Institute of ZoologyXianChina
| | - Ting Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Hai‐Tao Shi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
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Friedman ST, Muñoz MM. A latitudinal gradient of deep-sea invasions for marine fishes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:773. [PMID: 36774385 PMCID: PMC9922314 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36501-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the tropics harbor the greatest species richness globally, recent work has demonstrated that, for many taxa, speciation rates are faster at higher latitudes. Here, we explore lability in oceanic depth as a potential mechanism for this pattern in the most biodiverse vertebrates - fishes. We demonstrate that clades with the highest speciation rates also diversify more rapidly along the depth gradient, drawing a fundamental link between evolutionary and ecological processes on a global scale. Crucially, these same clades also inhabit higher latitudes, creating a prevailing latitudinal gradient of deep-sea invasions concentrated in poleward regions. We interpret these findings in the light of classic ecological theory, unifying the latitudinal variation of oceanic features and the physiological tolerances of the species living there. This work advances the understanding of how niche lability sculpts global patterns of species distributions and underscores the vulnerability of polar ecosystems to changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah T Friedman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA. .,Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
| | - Martha M Muñoz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
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Yılmaz C, Oruç A. Sex ratio estimation for Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas, hatchlings at Akyatan Beach, Turkey. ZOOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09397140.2022.2121085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Can Yılmaz
- Vocational School of Health Services, Hakkâri University, Hakkâri, Turkey
- WWF-Turkey, Istanbul, Turkey
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Leivesley JA, Nancekivell EG, Brooks RJ, Litzgus JD, Rollinson N. Long-term resilience of primary sex ratios in a species with temperature-dependent sex determination after decades of climate warming. Am Nat 2022; 200:532-543. [DOI: 10.1086/720621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Lyons MP, von Holle B, Weishampel JF. Why do sea turtle nests fail? Modeling clutch loss across the southeastern United States. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marta P. Lyons
- Department of Biology University of Central Florida Orlando Florida USA
| | - Betsy von Holle
- Department of Biology University of Central Florida Orlando Florida USA
- National Science Foundation Alexandria Virginia USA
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Field A, McGlashan JK, Salmon M. Evidence for Synchronous Hatching in Marine Turtle (Caretta caretta) Embryos and Its Influence on the Timing of Nest Emergence. CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.2744/ccb-1489.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Angela Field
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431 USA [; ]
| | - Jessica K. McGlashan
- School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 2751 Australia []
| | - Michael Salmon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431 USA [; ]
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Lockley EC, Eizaguirre C. Effects of global warming on species with temperature-dependent sex determination: Bridging the gap between empirical research and management. Evol Appl 2021; 14:2361-2377. [PMID: 34745331 PMCID: PMC8549623 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming could threaten over 400 species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) worldwide, including all species of sea turtle. During embryonic development, rising temperatures might lead to the overproduction of one sex and, in turn, could bias populations' sex ratios to an extent that threatens their persistence. If climate change predictions are correct, and biased sex ratios reduce population viability, species with TSD may go rapidly extinct unless adaptive mechanisms, whether behavioural, physiological or molecular, exist to buffer these temperature-driven effects. Here, we summarize the discovery of the TSD phenomenon and its still elusive evolutionary significance. We then review the molecular pathways underpinning TSD in model species, along with the hormonal mechanisms that interact with temperatures to determine an individual's sex. To illustrate evolutionary mechanisms that can affect sex determination, we focus on sea turtle biology, discussing both the adaptive potential of this threatened TSD taxon, and the risks associated with conservation mismanagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C. Lockley
- School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University LondonLondonUK
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Gammon M, Fossette S, McGrath G, Mitchell N. A Systematic Review of Metabolic Heat in Sea Turtle Nests and Methods to Model Its Impact on Hatching Success. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.556379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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10
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Santidrián Tomillo P, Spotila JR. Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination in Sea Turtles in the Context of Climate Change: Uncovering the Adaptive Significance. Bioessays 2020; 42:e2000146. [PMID: 32896903 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The adaptive significance of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in reptiles remains unknown decades after TSD was first identified in this group. Concurrently, there is growing concern about the effect that rising temperatures may have on species with TSD, potentially producing extremely biased sex ratios or offspring of only one sex. The current state-of the-art in TSD research on sea turtles is reviewed here and, against current paradigm, it is proposed that TSD provides an advantage under warming climates. By means of coadaptation between early survival and sex ratios, sea turtles are able to maintain populations. When offspring survival declines at high temperatures, the sex that increases future fecundity (females) is produced, increasing resilience to climate warming. TSD could have helped reptiles to survive mass extinctions in the past via this model. Flaws in research on sex determination in sea turtles are also identified and it is suggested that the development of new techniques will revolutionize the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James R Spotila
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
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Abstract
Climate change is occurring at an unprecedented rate and has begun to modify the distribution and phenology of organisms worldwide. Chelonians are expected to be particularly vulnerable due to limited dispersal capabilities as well as widespread temperature-dependent sex determination. The number of papers published about the effects of climate change on turtles has increased exponentially over the last decade; here, I review the data from peer-reviewed publications to assess the likely impacts of climate change on individuals, populations, and communities. Based upon these studies future research should focus on: (1) Individual responses to climate change, particularly with respect to thermal biology, phenology, and microhabitat selection; (2) improving species distribution models by incorporating fine-scale environmental variables as well as physiological processes; (3) identifying the consequences of skewed sex ratios; and (4) assessments of community resilience and the development of methods to mitigate climate change impacts. Although detailed management recommendations are not possible at this point, careful consideration should be given regarding how to manage low vagility species as habitats shift poleward. In the worst-case scenario, proactive management may be required in order to ensure that widespread losses do not occur.
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12
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Sheldon KS, Huey RB, Kaspari M, Sanders NJ. Fifty Years of Mountain Passes: A Perspective on Dan Janzen’s Classic Article. Am Nat 2018; 191:553-565. [DOI: 10.1086/697046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Bowden RM, Paitz RT. Temperature fluctuations and maternal estrogens as critical factors for understanding temperature-dependent sex determination in nature. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 329:177-184. [PMID: 29806743 PMCID: PMC6141314 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrates with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) have justifiably received a lot of attention when it comes to the potential effects of climate change. Freshwater turtles have long been used to characterize the physiological and genetic mechanisms underlying TSD and provide a great system to investigate how changing climatic conditions will affect vertebrates with TSD. Unfortunately, most of what we know about the mechanisms underlying TSD comes from laboratory conditions that do not accurately mimic natural conditions (i.e., constant incubation temperatures and supraphysiological steroid manipulations). In this paper, we review recent advances in our understanding of how TSD operates in nature that arose from studies using more natural fluctuating incubation temperatures and natural variation in maternal estrogens within the yolk. By incorporating more natural conditions into laboratory studies, we are better able to use these studies to predict how changing climatic conditions will affect species with TSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M. Bowden
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120
| | - Ryan T. Paitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120
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