Publications

time in tortoiseshell: a bomb radiocarbon-validated chronology in sea turtle scutes.	some of the most basic questions of sea turtle life history are also the most elusive. many uncertainties surround lifespan, growth rates, maturity and spatial structure, yet these are critical factors in assessing population status. here we examine the keratinized hard tissues of the hawksbill (eretmochelys imbricata) carapace and use bomb radiocarbon dating to estimate growth and maturity. scutes have an established dietary record, yet the large keratin deposits of hawksbills evoke a reliable ...	2016	26740617
genetic variation, multiple paternity, and measures of reproductive success in the critically endangered hawksbill turtle (eretmochelys imbricata).	the yucatán peninsula in mexico contains some of the largest breeding groups of the globally distributed and critically endangered hawksbill turtle (eretmochelys imbricata). an improved understanding of the breeding system of this species and how its genetic variation is structured among nesting areas is required before the threats to its survival can be properly evaluated. here, we genotype 1195 hatchlings and 41 nesting females at 12 microsatellite loci to assess levels of multiple paternity, ...	2015	26811751
male hatchling production in sea turtles from one of the world's largest marine protected areas, the chagos archipelago.	sand temperatures at nest depths and implications for hatchling sex ratios of hawksbill turtles (eretmochelys imbricata) and green turtles (chelonia mydas) nesting in the chagos archipelago, indian ocean are reported and compared to similar measurements at rookeries in the atlantic and caribbean. during 2012-2014, temperature loggers were buried at depths and in beach zones representative of turtle nesting sites. data collected for 12,546 days revealed seasonal and spatial patterns of sand tempe ...	2016	26832230
first record of hybridization between green chelonia mydas and hawksbill eretmochelys imbricata sea turtles in the southeast pacific.	hybridization among sea turtle species has been widely reported in the atlantic ocean, but their detection in the pacific ocean is limited to just two individual hybrid turtles, in the northern hemisphere. herein, we report, for the first time in the southeast pacific, the presence of a sea turtle hybrid between the green turtle chelonia mydas and the hawksbill turtle eretmochelys imbricata. this juvenile sea turtle was captured in northern peru (4°13's; 81°10'w) on the 5(th) of january, 2014. t ...	2016	26925333
hawksbill turtle terra incognita: conservation genetics of eastern pacific rookeries.	prior to 2008 and the discovery of several important hawksbill turtle (eretmochelys imbricata) nesting colonies in the ep (eastern pacific), the species was considered virtually absent from the region. research since that time has yielded new insights into ep hawksbills, salient among them being the use of mangrove estuaries for nesting. these recent revelations have raised interest in the genetic characterization of hawksbills in the ep, studies of which have remained lacking to date. between 2 ...	2016	26941950
the developmental biogeography of hawksbill sea turtles in the north pacific.	high seas oceanic ecosystems are considered important habitat for juvenile sea turtles, yet much remains cryptic about this important life-history period. recent progress on climate and fishery impacts in these so-called lost years is promising, but the developmental biogeography of hawksbill sea turtles (eretmochelys imbricata) has not been widely described in the pacific ocean. this knowledge gap limits the effectiveness of conservation management for this globally endangered species. we addre ...	2016	27110350
ghrelin and leptin modulate the feeding behaviour of the hawksbill turtle eretmochelys imbricata during nesting season.	female sea turtles have rarely been observed foraging during the nesting season. this suggests that prior to their migration to nesting beaches the females must store sufficient energy and nutrients at their foraging grounds and must be physiologically capable of undergoing months without feeding. leptin (an appetite-suppressing protein) and ghrelin (a hunger-stimulating peptide) affect body weight by influencing energy intake in all vertebrates. we investigated the levels of these hormones and ...	2013	27293600
mitochondrial dna profiling of illegal tortoiseshell products derived from hawksbill sea turtles.	the hawksbill sea turtle (eretmochelys imbricata) is a highly endangered species, commonly poached for its ornate shell. "tortoiseshell" products made from the shell are widely, although illegally, available in many countries. hawksbills have a circumglobal distribution; thus, determining their origin is difficult, although genetic differences exist geographically. in the research presented, a procedure was developed to extract and amplify mitochondrial dna from tortoiseshell items, in an effort ...	2016	27364288
food-poisoning outbreak and fatality following ingestion of sea turtle meat in the rural community of ndrondroni, mohéli island, comoros, december 2012.	on 24-december-2012 newspapers reported food-poisoning cases in ndrondroni, comoros. the authors conducted an investigation and a case-control study to identify the source and control the outbreak. they identified eight cases. a 6-month breastfed infant died. the results suggest consumption of eretmochelys imbricata caused the outbreak. a bio-toxin ingested by the turtle might be the source. the local authorities informed the population on the danger of turtle-meat consumption. cooking does not ...	2016	27452931
detection of salmonella enterica serovar montevideo and newport in free-ranging sea turtles and beach sand in the caribbean and persistence in sand and seawater microcosms.	salmonellae are gram-negative zoonotic bacteria that are frequently part of the normal reptilian gastrointestinal flora. the main objective of this project was to estimate the prevalence of non-typhoidal salmonella enterica in the nesting and foraging populations of sea turtles on st. kitts and in sand from known nesting beaches. results suggest a higher prevalence of salmonella in nesting leatherback sea turtles compared with foraging green and hawksbill sea turtles. salmonella was cultured fro ...	2016	28009107
relationship between organochlorine pesticides and stress indicators in hawksbill sea turtle (eretmochelys imbricata) nesting at punta xen (campeche), southern gulf of mexico.	data on the impact of environmental pollution on the homeostasis of sea turtles remains scarce, particularly in the southern gulf of mexico. as many municipalities along the coastline of the yucatan peninsula do not rely on a waste treatment plant, these organisms could be particularly vulnerable. we searched for relationships between the presence of organochlorine pesticides (ocp) and the level of several oxidative and pollutant stress indicators of the hawksbill sea turtle (eretmochelys imbric ...	2017	28025743
spongivory on caribbean reefs releases corals from competition with sponges.	competition for space is an important process on tropical coral reefs. few studies have examined the role sponges play in community structure despite the fact that many sponges are competitively superior to reef-building corals in space acquisition. surveys conducted throughout the florida keys indicated that chondrilla nucula was involved in about 30% of all coral-sponge interactions; this sponge has also been observed in 40-50% of coral-sponge interactions on other caribbean reefs. c. nucula i ...	1998	28308480
ecological regime shift drives declining growth rates of sea turtles throughout the west atlantic.	somatic growth is an integrated, individual-based response to environmental conditions, especially in ectotherms. growth dynamics of large, mobile animals are particularly useful as bio-indicators of environmental change at regional scales. we assembled growth rate data from throughout the west atlantic for green turtles, chelonia mydas, which are long-lived, highly migratory, primarily herbivorous mega-consumers that may migrate over hundreds to thousands of kilometers. our dataset, the largest ...	2017	28378354
blood gases, biochemistry and haematology of galápagos hawksbill turtles (eretmochelys imbricata).	the hawksbill turtle,eretmochelys imbricata, is a marine chelonian with a circum-global distribution, but the species is critically endangered and has nearly vanished from the eastern pacific. although reference blood parameter intervals have been published for many chelonian species and populations, including nesting atlantic hawksbills, no such baseline biochemical and blood gas values have been reported for wild pacific hawksbill turtles. blood samples were drawn from eight hawksbill turtles ...	2017	28496982
the current situation of inorganic elements in marine turtles: a general review and meta-analysis.	inorganic elements (pb, cd, hg, al, as, cr, cu, fe, mn, ni, se and zn) are present globally in aquatic systems and their potential transfer to marine turtles can be a serious threat to their health status. the environmental fate of these contaminants may be traced by the analysis of turtle tissues. loggerhead turtles (caretta caretta) are the most frequently investigated of all the sea turtle species with regards to inorganic elements, followed by green turtles (chelonia mydas); all the other sp ...	2017	28688307
evidence of opposing fitness effects of parental heterozygosity and relatedness in a critically endangered marine turtle?	how individual genetic variability relates to fitness is important in understanding evolution and the processes affecting populations of conservation concern. heterozygosity-fitness correlations (hfcs) have been widely used to study this link in wild populations, where key parameters that affect both variability and fitness, such as inbreeding, can be difficult to measure. we used estimates of parental heterozygosity and genetic similarity ('relatedness') derived from 32 microsatellite markers t ...	2017	28787533
natal foraging philopatry in eastern pacific hawksbill turtles.	the complex processes involved with animal migration have long been a subject of biological interest, and broad-scale movement patterns of many marine turtle populations still remain unresolved. while it is widely accepted that once marine turtles reach sexual maturity they home to natal areas for nesting or reproduction, the role of philopatry to natal areas during other life stages has received less scrutiny, despite widespread evidence across the taxa. here we report on genetic research that ...	2017	28878969
chelonitoxism in breast-fed child: cases in mahajanga, madagascar.	chelonitoxism is a form of food poisoning due to the consumption of sea turtle flesh or viscera, which contain marine toxins called chelonitoxins. because the passage of these toxins into breast milk is thought to be fatal to breastfed babies, we sought to confirm the possibility of this transmission of toxins through breastfeeding and to determine the symptoms of mothers and the severity of poisoning in babies. a recent case of collective consumption of sea turtle meat from the species eretmoch ...	2017	28947412
data of firstde-novotranscriptome assembly of a non-model species, hawksbill sea turtle,eretmochelys imbricate, nesting of the colombian caribean.	the hawksbill sea turtle,eretmochelys imbricata,is an endangered species of the caribbean colombian coast due to anthropic and natural factors that have decreased their population levels. little is known about the genes that are involved in their immune system, sex determination, aging and others important functions. the data generated represents rna sequencing and the first de-novo assembly of transcripts expressed in the blood of the hawksbill sea turtle. the raw fastq files were deposited in ...	2017	29071295
profiles of environmental contaminants in hawksbill turtle egg yolks reflect local to distant pollution sources among nesting beaches in the yucatán peninsula, mexico.	knowledge of spatial variation in pollutant profiles among sea turtle nesting locations is limited. this poses challenges in identifying processes shaping this variability and sets constraints to the conservation management of sea turtles and their use as biomonitoring tools for environmental pollutants. we aimed to increase understanding of the spatial variation in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (pah), organochlorine pesticide (ocp) and polychlorinated biphenyl (pcb) compounds among nesting be ...	2018	29395262
a review of bottom-up vs. top-down control of sponges on caribbean fore-reefs: what's old, what's new, and future directions.	interest in the ecology of sponges on coral reefs has grown in recent years with mounting evidence that sponges are becoming dominant members of reef communities, particularly in the caribbean. new estimates of water column processing by sponge pumping activities combined with discoveries related to carbon and nutrient cycling have led to novel hypotheses about the role of sponges in reef ecosystem function. among these developments, a debate has emerged about the relative effects of bottom-up ( ...	2018	29404224
measuring behavioral responses of sea turtles, saltwater crocodiles, and crested terns to drone disturbance to define ethical operating thresholds.	drones are being increasingly used in innovative ways to enhance environmental research and conservation. despite their widespread use for wildlife studies, there are few scientifically justified guidelines that provide minimum distances at which wildlife can be approached to minimize visual and auditory disturbance. these distances are essential to ensure that behavioral and survey data have no observer bias and form the basis of requirements for animal ethics and scientific permit approvals. i ...	2018	29561901
combined use of two supervised learning algorithms to model sea turtle behaviours from tri-axial acceleration data.	accelerometers are becoming ever more important sensors in animal-attached technology, providing data that allow determination of body posture and movement and thereby helping to elucidate behaviour in animals that are difficult to observe. we sought to validate the identification of sea turtle behaviours from accelerometer signals by deploying tags on the carapace of a juvenile loggerhead (caretta caretta), an adult hawksbill (eretmochelys imbricata) and an adult green turtle (chelonia mydas) a ...	2018	29661804
oxidative stress biomarkers and organochlorine pesticides in nesting female hawksbill turtles eretmochelys imbricata from mexican coast (punta xen, mexico).	because of their vulnerable population status, assessing exposure levels and impacts of toxicants on the health status of gulf of mexico marine turtle populations is essential, and this study was aimed to obtain baseline information on oxidative stress indicators in hawksbill sea turtle (eretmochelys imbricata). in order to evaluate the health status of sea turtles and the effect of organochlorine compounds (oc) in the southern part of the gulf of mexico, we searched for relationships between ca ...	2018	29876855
conjunctival bacterial flora and antimicrobial susceptibility of captive and free-living sea turtles in brazil.	to describe the aerobic conjunctival bacterial flora of 3 especies of free-living and under human care sea turtles and determine its antimicrobial susceptibility in vitro.	2019	29953719
the early ontogeny of carapace armoring in hawksbill sea turtles (eretmochelys imbricata), with comparisons to its close relatives (loggerhead, caretta caretta; kemp's ridley, lepidochelys kempii).	in this study, we compare and contrast armoring strategies during early ontogeny among three related species of marine turtles: the hawksbill, a species that diverged about 29 mya from the loggerhead and kemp's ridley, which diverged from one another about 16 mya. our purpose was to determine whether there was a correlation between divergence time and the evolution of unique morphological armoring specializations among these species. to find out, we completed a more detailed analysis of shell mo ...	2018	30105840
ingested micronizing plastic particle compositions and size distributions within stranded post-hatchling sea turtles.	from july 2015 to november 2016, 96 post-hatchling sea turtles were collected from 118 km of the atlantic coastline in florida, usa, including loggerhead, green, and hawksbill sea turtle species. forty-five of the recovered turtles were rehabilitated and released, but the remaining 52 died and were frozen. at necropsy, the gastrointestinal tracts of most the turtles contained visible plastic, and collected particles of 27 individuals were chemically characterized by raman microscopy as polyethyl ...	2018	30118591
nesting ecology of hawksbill turtles, eretmochelys imbricata, in an extreme environmental setting.	relatively few details of hawksbill turtle (eretmochelys imbricata) nesting ecology exist within the arabian gulf. moreover, little is known about how their nesting dynamics compare to nesting populations throughout the rest of the world. due to the extreme environmental setting, nesting ecology of hawksbills in the arabian gulf is of significant interest to researchers and conservationists. the current research reports on a long-term tagging and monitoring program undertaken at fuwairit beach, ...	2018	30192801
first record of the marine turtle leech (ozobranchus margoi) on hawksbill turtles (eretmochelys imbricata) in the inner granitic seychelles.	ozobranchus spp. are leeches that feed solely on turtle blood. they are common ectoparasites found on a range of marine turtle species, with some species of the leech being implicated as vectors of fibropapilloma-associated turtle herpesvirus (fpthv). green (chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (eretmochelys imbricata) turtles are the two commonly occurring species in the inner granitic islands of the seychelles. routine monitoring of nesting turtles on cousine island, seychelles, allowed for opportuni ...	2018	30198282
complete mitochondrial genome of the nesting colombian caribbean hawksbill turtle.	the hawksbill turtle, eretmochelis imbricata (linnaeus, 1766), is an endangered sea turtle in colombian caribbean beach. in this study, we report the complete mitochondrial dna sequences of hawksbill turtle. the entire genome comprised 16,386 base pairs, and a nucleotide frequency of t: 25.6%, c: 26.9%, a: g 35.4% and 12.1%. the mitogenome sequence of hawksbill turtle would contribute to better understand population genetics, and evolution of sea turtles. molecule was deposited at the genbank da ...	2017	30370335
warmer and wetter conditions will reduce offspring production of hawksbill turtles in brazil under climate change.	climate change is expected to impact animals that are heavily reliant on environmental factors, such as sea turtles, since the incubation of their eggs, hatching success and sex ratio are influenced by the environment in which eggs incubate. as climate change progresses it is therefore important to understand how climatic conditions influence their reproductive output and the ramifications to population stability. here, we examined the influences of five climatic variables (air temperature, accu ...	2018	30408043
comparative cranial morphology of the late cretaceous protostegid sea turtle desmatochelys lowii.	the phylogenetic placement of cretaceous marine turtles, especially protostegidae, is still under debate among paleontologists. whereas protostegids were traditionally thought to be situated within the clade of recent marine turtles (chelonioidea), some recent morphological and molecular studies suggest placement along the stem of cryptodira. the main reason why the evolution of marine turtles is still poorly understood, is in part due to a lack of insights into the cranial anatomy of protostegi ...	2018	30568851
organochlorines contaminants in eggs of hawksbill (eretmochelys imbricata) and green sea turtles (chelonia mydas) from mexico coast.	the investigation of organochlorine pesticides (ocps) levels in sea turtles is an important issue in conservation research, due to the harmful effects of these chemicals. in the present study, ocps concentrations were determined in the eggs of two sea turtle species (eretmochelys imbricata and chelonia mydas) collected from the punta xen and isla aguada (mexican coast) in 2014 and 2015. concentrations of 20 ocps were analysed, including isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane, aldrin, chlordanes, endos ...	2019	30600338
assessing karenia brevis red tide as a mortality factor of sea turtles in florida, usa.	data on karenia brevis red tides (≥105 cells l-1) and on dead or debilitated (i.e. stranded) kemp's ridleys lepidochelys kempii, loggerheads caretta caretta, green turtles chelonia mydas, hawksbills eretmochelys imbricata, and leatherbacks dermochelys coriacea documented in florida during 1986-2013 were evaluated to assess red tides as a sea turtle mortality factor. unusually large numbers of stranded sea turtles were found coincident with red tides primarily along florida's gulf coast but also ...	2019	30628577
potential limitations of behavioral plasticity and the role of egg relocation in climate change mitigation for a thermally sensitive endangered species.	anthropogenic climate change is widely considered a major threat to global biodiversity, such that the ability of a species to adapt will determine its likelihood of survival. egg-burying reptiles that exhibit temperature-dependent sex determination, such as critically endangered hawksbill turtles (eretmochelys imbricata), are particularly vulnerable to changes in thermal regimes because nest temperatures affect offspring sex, fitness, and survival. it is unclear whether hawksbills possess suffi ...	2019	30847059
the historical development of complex global trafficking networks for marine wildlife.	the complexity of trade networks is a major challenge to controlling wildlife trafficking and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (iuu) fishing. these networks may not be modern inventions, but have developed over centuries, from integrated global markets that preceded modern regulatory policies. to understand these linkages, we curated 150 years of tortoiseshell transactions and derived biologically informed harvest models to estimate the trade in critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles (e ...	2019	30957017
densities and drivers of sea turtle populations across pacific coral reef ecosystems.	sea turtle populations are often assessed at the regional to sub-basin scale from discrete indices of nesting abundance. while this may be practical and sometimes effective, widespread in-water surveys may enhance assessments by including additional demographics, locations, and revealing emerging population trends. here, we describe sea turtle observations from 13 years of towed-diver surveys across 53 coral islands, atolls, and reefs in the central, west, and south pacific. these surveys covere ...	2019	31017916
vulnerability of sea turtles and fishes in response to two catastrophic caribbean hurricanes, irma and maria.	extreme weather events (e.g., cyclones, floods, droughts) are capable of changing ecosystems and altering how animals obtain resources. understanding the behavioural responses of animals being impacted by these natural events can help initiate and ameliorate conservation or management programs. this study investigated short- and long-term space-use of the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle (eretmochelys imbricata), as well as five species of fishes and stingrays, in response to two of th ...	2019	31582770
pharmacokinetics of tolfenamic acid in hawksbill turtles (eretmochelys imbricata) after single intravenous and intramuscular administration.	to the best of our knowledge, limited pharmacokinetic information to establish suitable therapeutic plans is available for hawksbill turtles. therefore, the present study aimed to assess the pharmacokinetic features of tolfenamic acid (ta) in hawksbill turtles, eretmochelys imbricata, after single intravenous (i.v.) and intramuscular (i.m.) administration at dosage 4 mg/kg body weight (b.w.). the study (parallel design) used 10 hawksbill turtles randomly divided into equal groups. blood samples ...	2020	31705691
first report of pyelosomum cochlear looss 1899 (digenea: pronocephalidae) in a hawksbill turtle - eretmochelys imbricata l. found in brazilian coast.	pyelosomum cochlear looss 1899 (digenea: pronocephalidae) is a parasite exclusive to sea turtles, having been described in the green turtle (chelonia mydas) in egypt, the usa, panama, costa rica and brazil as well as the olive ridley turtle (lepidochelys olivacea) in brazil. the present note describes the first occurrence of p. cochlear in a hawksbill turtle (eretmochelys imbricata) found on the coast of brazil.	2019	31708675
fidelity to foraging sites after long migrations.	patterns of animal movement associated with foraging lie at the heart of many ecological studies and often animals face decisions of staying in an environment they know versus relocating to new sites. the lack of knowledge of new foraging sites means there is risk associated with a decision to relocate (e.g. poor foraging) as well as a potential benefit (e.g. improved foraging). using a unique long-term satellite tracking dataset for several sea turtle species, combined with capture-mark-recaptu ...	2020	31785174
preserved collagen reveals species identity in archaeological marine turtle bones from caribbean and florida sites.	advancements in molecular science are continually improving our knowledge of marine turtle biology and evolution. however, there are still considerable gaps in our understanding, such as past marine turtle distributions, which can benefit from advanced zooarchaeological analyses. here, we apply collagen fingerprinting to 130 archaeological marine turtle bone samples up to approximately 2500 years old from the caribbean and florida's gulf coast for faunal identification, finding the vast majority ...	2019	31824722
data on heteroplasmic mutations in mitochondrial genomes of loggerhead and hawksbill sea turtles: first approach.	the populations of loggerhead (caretta caretta) and hawksbill (eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles are suffering an exponential decline due to anthropic and environmental actions that threaten their survival. in these turtle populations, the degree of heteroplasmic mutations commonly related with pathologies, has not been studied. in this data report, the specifications of each heteroplasmic site (region, mutation, length) and the percentage of heteroplasmy of each gene for four mitochondrial ge ...	2020	31867420
twenty-three years of sea turtle stranding/ bycatch research in taiwan.	coastal sea turtle stranding and bycatch are common phenomena worldwide and have received more attention in recent years. they are caused by both natural and anthropogenic factors. one thousand and seventy-two turtles were reported to be victims of these phenomena from march 1997 to november 2019 in taiwan. number of stranding/bycatch were variable and infrequent for the first 14 years, but increased each year after 2012 and peaked in 2019 with 217 cases. most turtles were juveniles to subadults ...	2019	31966345
impacts of a shallow shipwreck on a coral reef: a case study from st. brandon's atoll, mauritius, indian ocean.	shallow shipwrecks, can have severe ecological and toxicological impacts on coral atolls. in 2012, a tuna longliner ran aground on the reef crest of st brandon's atoll, mauritius, broke up into three pieces which was moved by currents and storms into the lagoon. in the months following the grounding, the coral around the wreck became dead and black. down-current from the wreck, a dense bloom of filamentous algae (ulva sp.) attached to coral occurred. to determine the ecological effects of the wr ...	2020	32174336
combined use of mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers further reveal immature marine turtle hybrids along the south western atlantic.	marine turtle hybridization is usually sporadic and involves reports of only a few individuals; however, brazilian populations have high hybridization rates. here we investigated the presence of hybrids in morphologically identified immature hawksbills (eretmochelys imbricata) along the south western atlantic (swa). we sequenced one mitochondrial (d-loop) and three nuclear dna (rag1, rag2, and cmos) markers to better understand the patterns and characteristics of hybrids. we identified 22 hybrid ...	2020	32353097
comparative analysis of tear composition in humans, domestic mammals, reptiles, and birds.	tears are an important component of the ocular surface protection mechanism and are in close contact with the corneal epithelium and the environment. their composition is well-known in humans; however, there are few investigations on the composition and function of tears in reptiles, birds and others mammals, which would elucidate the mechanisms governing the maintenance of ocular homeostasis. in this work, electrophoretic profiles and an evaluation of total protein, albumin, urea, glucose, and ...	2020	32528986
buried treasure-marine turtles do not 'disguise' or 'camouflage' their nests but avoid them and create a decoy trail.	after laying their eggs and refilling the egg chamber, sea turtles scatter sand extensively around the nest site. this is presumed to camouflage the nest, or optimize local conditions for egg development, but a consensus on its function is lacking. we quantified activity and mapped the movements of hawksbill (eretmochelys imbricata) and leatherback (dermochelys coriacea) turtles during sand-scattering. for leatherbacks, we also recorded activity at each sand-scattering position. for hawksbills, ...	2020	32537227
data on environmental contaminants in sea turtle eggs at venu island, kaimana - west papua, indonesia.	long-range atmospheric transport of contaminants can result in contamination of aquatic systems in otherwise pristine areas. contaminants enter aquatic systems largely as inorganic pollutants that often are microbially transformed. the result can be a potent neurotoxin with a strong tendency to biomagnify within food chains. the general human population is exposed to contaminants such as mercury, predominantly through food consumption. here, we report data on contaminants from a sample of green ...	2020	32551349
global phylogeography of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle (eretmochelys imbricata).	the hawksbill turtle is a broadly distributed, highly migratory and critically endangered sea turtle species. the paucity of studies restricts the comprehension of its behavior and life history. in this work, we performed a global phylogeographic analysis using a compilation of previously published mitochondrial haplotype data to understand the dynamics and diversity of hawksbill populations worldwide. our results revealed a complex demographic pattern associated to hawksbill phylogeography sinc ...	2020	32555943
new genetic insights about hybridization and population structure of hawksbill and loggerhead turtles from brazil.	an extremely high incidence of hybridization among sea turtles is found along the brazilian coast. this atypical phenomenon and its impact on sea turtle conservation can be elucidated through research focused on the evolutionary history of sea turtles. we assessed high-quality multilocus haplotypes of 143 samples of the 5 species of sea turtles that occur along the brazilian coast to investigate the hybridization process and the population structure of hawksbill (eretmochelys imbricata) and logg ...	2020	32710544
genomic evidence of recent hybridization between sea turtles at abrolhos archipelago and its association to low reproductive output.	hybridization between sea turtle species occurs with particularly high frequency at two adjacent nesting areas in northeastern brazil. to understand the outcomes of hybridization and their consequences for sea turtle conservation, we need to evaluate the extent of hybridization occurrence and possible deleterious effects in the hybrid progeny. thus, we investigated the hypothesis of the existence of a new hybrid spot offshore of brazil's northeastern coast. the abrolhos archipelago is surrounded ...	2020	32733067
environmental and anthropogenic factors affecting nesting site selection by sea turtles.	understanding the environmental and anthropogenic factors that affect nesting site selection by sea turtles is key to maintaining priority conservation areas. the species lepidochelys olivacea, caretta caretta, and eretmochelys imbricata nest annually on the island of comandatuba (una, northeastern brazil), where this survey was conducted. we evaluated the temporal and spatial distribution of nests during the seasons 2008/2009 to 2014/2015 and 2017/2018. in the last season, we further examined t ...	2020	32836012
ocular ultrasonography of sea turtles.	environmental changes contribute to the development of ophthalmic diseases in sea turtles, but information on their eye biometrics is scarce. the aim of this study was to describe ophthalmic ultrasonographic features of four different sea turtle species; caretta caretta (loggerhead turtle; n = 10), chelonia mydas (green turtle; n = 8), eretmochelys imbricata (hawksbill turtle; n = 8) and lepidochelys olivacea (olive ridley; n = 6) under human care. corneal thickness, scleral ossicle width and th ...	2020	32912266
newly emerging diseases of marine turtles, especially sea turtle egg fusariosis (seft), caused by species in the fusarium solani complex (fssc).	sea turtles are presently considered severely endangered species that are historically threatened by many environmental factors. recently, additional threats to sea turtles from two pathogenic species of fungi in the fusarium solani species complex (f. falciforme and f. keratoplasticum) have been identified. these species infect marine turtle eggs, causing sea turtle egg fusariosis, and kill their embryos, with recent reports of hatch-failure in seven globally distributed species of endangered s ...	2020	33062381
comparative cytogenetics of four sea turtle species (cheloniidae): g-banding pattern and in situ localization of repetitive dna units.	sea turtles are considered flagship species for marine biodiversity conservation and are considered to be at varying risk of extinction globally. cases of hybridism have been reported in sea turtles, but chromosomal analyses are limited to classical karyotype descriptions and a few molecular cytogenetic studies. in order to compare karyotypes and understand evolutive mechanisms related to chromosome dif-ferentiation in this group, chelonia mydas, caretta caretta, eretmochelys imbricata, and lepi ...	2020	33120383