Carapace asymmetry: A possible biomarker for metal accumulation in adult olive Ridleys marine turtles?

Cortés-Gómez, Adriana A.; Romero, Diego; Girondot, Marc

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.02.020

Cited by 17 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…In the literature, several researchers have found correlations between physiological parameters and the presence of heavy metals, suggesting that heavy metal pollution can affect the health of sea turtles [11][12][13][14]. Moreover, it has been observed that the increase in such contamination could adversely interfere with fertilization and the success of hatching [15,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Heavy Metals in Eggs and Tissues of C. caretta along the Sicilian Coast (Mediterranean Sea)

et al. 2022

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In this study we compared the heavy metal concentration found in different tissues and eggs of the loggerhead sea turtle and evaluated the potential ecotoxicological risk for this important species. Eighteen heavy metal elements were determined in different tissues (liver, gonads, fat, kidney, heart, brain, and spleen) of nine individuals of Caretta caretta found stranded along the coasts of Messina (Sicily, Italy) and in the shell and yolk of six eggs from the island of Linosa (Sicily, Italy). For the analysis of the heavy metals, we used the analytical procedures in accordance with the EPA 200.8 method supplemented by EPA 6020b with three replicates for each measurement. The elements analysed showed different organotropism even if the liver showed higher levels of bioaccumulation. Turtles’ tissues showed the highest values of iron in the liver, followed by zinc in the heart and arsenic in the kidney. Regarding eggs, zinc, iron, and barium were dominant in the yolk and iron, boron, and copper in the eggshell. From the analyses carried out the worrying levels of arsenic and cadmium in the kidneys and liver of C. caretta raise questions about the risk related to exposure to these non-essential elements. This study highlights the importance of multi-element biomonitoring by increasing knowledge on the biodistribution of 18 heavy metals and the related potential risks for C. caretta. We also exploring for the first time the presence of several heavy metals in the eggs and their possible implication for the survival of the species.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Heavy Metals in Eggs and Tissues of C. caretta along the Sicilian Coast (Mediterranean Sea)

et al. 2022

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“…To estimate the asymmetry of the carapace of both hatchling and mother, as part of the developmental instability, the DIx was used. This index, rather than size, contemplates relative proportions, which it achieves by integrating the analysis of the diversity of scutes by means of an averaged geometric analysis of Shannon H entropy and the difference in the costal scutes of both sides obtained through Edward's angular distance analysis (Cortés-Gómes et al, 2018). To do this, using photographs, the costal scutes of the left and the right side were counted and measured.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance of the sea turtleLepidochelys olivaceahatchlings from a hatchery on the Pacific coast of Guatemala

Morales-Mérida

Contreras-Mérida

Cortés-Gómez

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Sea turtles are marine species that are generally in danger of extinction. The conservation strategies in the different countries are attempting to preserve these species and should be constantly updating their policies according to research results taking place on site. The most abundant and frequent species of sea turtle that nest in the Pacific Coast of Guatemala is Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829), therefore human predation has been historically high. The solution to this predation, since the 1970s, as a conservation strategy was to place eggs in enclosed protected spaces called hatcheries, where collectors must give 20% of the nest as a conservation quota. Since this program leads to no natural nests (in situ) remaining on the beaches, the good functioning of the hatcheries plays a fundamental role in the conservation process to work. To understand and predict the fitness of the hatchlings being produced in Guatemalan hatcheries, crawling performance and self-righting performance were measured in 210 hatchlings of the Multiple Uses Area of Hawaii, in the Pacific Coast of Guatemala. The results of the performance were contrasted with incubation conditions to provide an insight into how the management may influence it. We found that self-righting may be a more meaningful measure of variable behavior than crawling performance, showing that there was little variation due to the homogeneous environment of the hatcheries. We can conclude that a greater number of eggs result in faster self-righting, while deeper nests produce hatchlings with slower rates of self-righting.

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“…Variation in scute patterns is the most common malformation in the carapace of hard-shelled sea turtles, but there is no evidence that these variations affect survival [11,13,20,116]. The main proven causes of these anomalies are hot temperatures and dry conditions [29,30], although it has also been suggested that the presence of metals could be involved [117]. In addition, crowding pressure on the eggs inside the nest may contribute to carapacial deformities [13].…”

Section: Carapace Defectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Congenital Malformations in Sea Turtles: Puzzling Interplay between Genes and Environment

Martín-del-Campo

Calderón-Campuzano²,

Rojas‐Lleonart

et al. 2021

Animals

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The completion of embryonic development depends, in part, on the interplay between genetic factors and environmental conditions, and any alteration during development may affect embryonic genetic and epigenetic regulatory pathways leading to congenital malformations, which are mostly incompatible with life. Oviparous reptiles, such as sea turtles, that produce numerous eggs in a clutch that is buried on the beach provide an opportunity to study embryonic mortality associated with malformations that occur at different times during development, or that prevent the hatchling from emerging from the nest. In sea turtles, the presence of congenital malformations frequently leads to mortality. A few years ago, a detailed study was performed on external congenital malformations in three species of sea turtles from the Mexican Pacific and Caribbean coasts, the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata (n = 23,559 eggs), the green turtle, Chelonia mydas (n = 17,690 eggs), and the olive ridley, Lepidochelys olivacea (n = 20,257 eggs), finding 63 types of congenital malformations, of which 38 were new reports. Of the three species, the olive ridley showed a higher incidence of severe anomalies in the craniofacial region (49%), indicating alterations of early developmental pathways; however, several malformations were also observed in the body, including defects in the carapace (45%) and limbs (33%), as well as pigmentation disorders (20%), indicating that deviations occurred during the middle and later stages of development. Although intrinsic factors (i.e., genetic mutations or epigenetic modifications) are difficult to monitor in the field, some environmental factors (such as the incubation temperature, humidity, and probably the status of feeding areas) are, to some extent, less difficult to monitor and/or control. In this review, we describe the aetiology of different malformations observed in sea turtle embryos, and provide some actions that can reduce embryonic mortality.

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Carapace asymmetry: A possible biomarker for metal accumulation in adult olive Ridleys marine turtles?

Cited by 17 publications

References 77 publications

Impact of Heavy Metals in Eggs and Tissues of C. caretta along the Sicilian Coast (Mediterranean Sea)

Impact of Heavy Metals in Eggs and Tissues of C. caretta along the Sicilian Coast (Mediterranean Sea)

Performance of the sea turtleLepidochelys olivaceahatchlings from a hatchery on the Pacific coast of Guatemala

Congenital Malformations in Sea Turtles: Puzzling Interplay between Genes and Environment

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