| the acid-alkaline transition of a sea turtle myoglobin: coexistence at high ph of high- and low-spin forms. | the microenvironment of the iron in a sea turtle dermochelys coriacea myoglobin is studied using the spectroscopic techniques epr and optical absorption. optical absorption spectra in the visible region suggest a great homology between turtle mb and other myoglobins, such as those from whale, human and elephant. the pk of the acid-alkaline transition is 8.4 slightly lower than the pk of whale and equal to that of elephant myoglobin. the epr spectrum at ph 7.0 is characteristic of a high-spin con ... | 1985 | 2996609 |
| vibrio damsela infection in a stranded leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriacea). | necropsy of a stranded adult leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriacea) determined that the animal died as a result of valvular endocarditis and septicemia. vibrio damsela was isolated from the endocardial thrombus. the route of entry for infection probably was through the gastrointestinal tract. | 1987 | 3682094 |
| kinetics of carbon monoxide binding to monomeric hemoproteins. role of the proximal histidine. | the effect of ph on (i) the second-order rate constant for co binding and (ii) the spectral properties of the deoxygenated derivative of several monomeric hemoproteins has been investigated in the ph range between 2.3 and 9.0. as in the case of 3-[1-imidazolyl]-propylamide monomethyl ester mesoheme, the rate constant for co binding to sperm whale, horse, dermochelys coriacea, coryphaena hippurus, and aplysia limacina myoglobins (the latter only in the presence of acetate/acetic acid mixture) inc ... | 1985 | 3980472 |
| monoclonal antibodies for the measurement of class-specific antibody responses in the green turtle, chelonia mydas. | monoclonal antibodies (mabs) were developed against the known immunoglobulin classes of the green turtle, chelonia mydas. plasma protein fractions enriched for 5.7s igy, 7s igy, and igm turtle immunoglobulins were used to immunize balb/c mice for hybridoma production and for hybridoma screening. fifteen hybridomas produced mabs with specificity for turtle immunoglobulins and for affinity purified dinitrophenol (dnp) specific turtle antibodies. three mabs specific for either turtle 5.7s igy heavy ... | 1995 | 7502491 |
| reproduction and conservation of the leatherback turtle dermochelys coriacea (testudines: dermochelyidae) in gandoca, costa rica. | the leatherback turtle was studied in gandoca, an important nesting beach on the southeastern caribbean coast of costa rica (82 degrees 37' w; 09 degrees 37' n). in 1994, a total of 530 nests was recorded during the nesting season (february/july) and 160 leatherbacks were tagged; five were remigrants from the 1992 season and 15 carried tags from elsewhere. eighty eight females only nested once. mean curve carapace measurements were length 153.8 cm and width 112.0 cm. a hatchery received 82 clutc ... | 1996 | 9332617 |
| the effects of nest environment on calcium mobilization by leatherback turtle embryos (dermochelys coriacea) during development. | we investigated the effect of sand moisture content and sand temperature on developmental success and the mobilization of calcium during development using laboratory incubated eggs (n=251) collected from leatherbacks nesting at parque nacional marino las baulas, costa rica. calcium concentrations of egg components [eggshell, yolk plus albumen (y+a) and embryo] changed significantly through incubation for both viable and undeveloped eggs. in developed eggs, eggshell calcium content decreased 42.9 ... | 2001 | 11672691 |
| marine debris and human impacts on sea turtles in southern brazil. | dead stranded sea turtles were recovered and examined to determine the impact of anthropogenic debris and fishery activities on sea turtles on the coast of rio grande do sul state, brazil. esophagus/stomach contents of 38 juvenile green chelonia mydas, 10 adults and sub-adults loggerhead caretta caretta, and two leatherback dermochelys coriacea turtles (adult or sub-adult) included plastic bags as the main debris ingested, predominated by white and colorless pieces. the ingestion of anthropogeni ... | 2001 | 11827120 |
| biotic and abiotic factors affect the nest environment of embryonic leatherback turtles, dermochelys coriacea. | clutches of leatherback turtles, dermochelys coriacea, have lower hatching success than those of other sea turtles, but causes of high embryonic mortality are unknown. we measured characteristics of clutches along with spatial and temporal changes in po(2) and temperature during incubation to determine the extent to which they affected the developmental environment of leatherback embryos. minimum po(2) in nests decreased as both the total number and mass of metabolizing embryos increased. increa ... | 2004 | 15286916 |
| digestive pathology of sea turtles stranded in the canary islands between 1993 and 2001. | digestive lesions were observed in 84 of 136 sea turtles (128 caretta caretta, four chelonia mydas and four dermochelys coriacea) stranded in the canary islands between january 1993 and december 2001. in the oral cavity ulcerative and necropurulent stomatitis were the most frequently observed lesions, and in the oesophagus ulcerative and fibrinous oesophagitis, and traumatic oesophageal perforation were most frequently observed; all these lesions were mainly associated with the ingestion of fish ... | 2004 | 15357377 |
| diseases and causes of mortality among sea turtles stranded in the canary islands, spain (1998-2001). | this paper lists the pathological findings and causes of mortality of 93 sea turtles (88 caretta caretta, 3 chelonia mydas, and 2 dermochelys coriacea) stranded on the coasts of the canary islands between january 1998 and december 2001. of these, 25 (26.88%) had died of spontaneous diseases including different types of pneumonia, hepatitis, meningitis, septicemic processes and neoplasm. however, 65 turtles (69.89%) had died from lesions associated with human activities such as boat-strike injuri ... | 2005 | 15759796 |
| circulating serotonin in vertebrates. | the role of circulating serotonin is unclear and whether or not serotonin is present in the blood of non-mammalian species is not known. this study provides the first evidence for the presence of serotonin in thrombocytes of birds and three reptilian species, the endothermic leatherback sea turtle, the green sea turtle and the partially endothermic american alligator. thrombocytes from a fresh water turtle, american bullfrog, yellowfin tuna, and chinook salmon did not contain serotonin. serotoni ... | 2005 | 16041566 |
| bioenergetics and diving activity of internesting leatherback turtles dermochelys coriacea at parque nacional marino las baulas, costa rica. | physiology, environment and life history demands interact to influence marine turtle bioenergetics and activity. however, metabolism and diving behavior of free-swimming marine turtles have not been measured simultaneously. using doubly labeled water, we obtained the first field metabolic rates (fmrs; 0.20-0.74 w kg(-1)) and water fluxes (16-30% tbw day(-1), where tbw=total body water) for free-ranging marine turtles and combined these data with dive information from electronic archival tags to ... | 2005 | 16215215 |
| evidence of the exploitation of marine resource by the terrestrial insect scapteriscus didactylus through stable isotope analyzes of its cuticle. | about 4 x 10(5) eggs in more than 5000 marine turtle nests are deposited every year on a 3.6 km long beach in french guiana (south america). the dry biomass of eggs is estimated to be 5 x 10(3) kg, yet only 25% of this organic matter will return to the ocean in the form of hatchlings. such amounts of organic matter are supposed to drive the functioning of the beach ecosystem. previous studies have shown that egg predators and detritivorous organisms dominate the trophic relationships and the dyn ... | 2006 | 16681850 |
| dive and beak movement patterns in leatherback turtles dermochelys coriacea during internesting intervals in french guiana. | 1. investigating the foraging patterns of free-ranging species is essential to estimate energy/time budgets for assessing their real reproductive strategy. leatherback turtles dermochelys coriacea (vandelli 1761), commonly considered as capital breeders, have been reported recently to prospect actively during the breeding season in french guiana, atlantic ocean. in this study we investigate the possibility of this active behaviour being associated with foraging, by studying concurrently diving a ... | 2008 | 18217943 |
| predaceous ants, beach replenishment, and nest placement by sea turtles. | ants known for attacking and killing hatchling birds and reptiles include the red imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta buren), tropical fire ant [solenopsis geminata (fabr.)], and little fire ant [wasmannia auropunctata (roger)]. we tested whether sea turtle nest placement influenced exposure to predaceous ants. in 2000 and 2001, we surveyed ants along a florida beach where green turtles (chelonia mydas l.), leatherbacks (dermochelys coriacea vandelli), and loggerheads (caretta caretta l.) nest ... | 2007 | 18284732 |
| persistent leatherback turtle migrations present opportunities for conservation. | effective transboundary conservation of highly migratory marine animals requires international management cooperation as well as clear scientific information about habitat use by these species. populations of leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) in the eastern pacific have declined by >90% during the past two decades, primarily due to unsustainable egg harvest and fisheries bycatch mortality. while research and conservation efforts on nesting beaches are ongoing, relatively little is known ... | 2008 | 18630987 |
| effects of illegal harvest of eggs on the population decline of leatherback turtles in las baulas marine national park, costa rica. | within 19 years the nesting population of leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) at parque nacional marino las baulas declined from 1500 turtles nesting per year to about 100. we analyzed the effects of fishery bycatch and illegal harvesting (poaching) of eggs on this population. we modeled the population response to different levels of egg harvest (90, 75, 50, and 25%) and the effect of eradicating poaching at different times during the population decline. we compared effects of 90% poachin ... | 2008 | 18637915 |
| high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in tissues of atlantic turtles stranded in the canary islands, spain. | polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs 28, 31, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180, and 209) were measured in tissue samples (liver and fat) from 30 loggerhead turtles caretta caretta, 1 green turtle chelonia mydas, and 1 leatherback dermochelys coriacea stranded on the coasts of the canary islands, trying to establish a possible relation between pcb concentrations and the lesions and causes of death. tissues from these turtles contained higher levels of pcbs than those reported in turtles from other geographical r ... | 2009 | 19062067 |
| monitoring persistent organic pollutants in leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) confirms maternal transfer. | to assess threats to endangered species, it is critical to establish baselines for contaminant concentrations that may have detrimental consequences to individuals or populations. we measured contaminants in blubber and fat from dead leatherback turtles and established baselines in blood and eggs in nesting turtles. in fat, blubber, blood and eggs, the predominant pcbs were 153+132, 187+182, 138+163, 118, and 180+193. total pcbs, 4,4'-dde, total pbdes and total chlordanes were significantly and ... | 2011 | 21612801 |
| acinetobacter sp. hm746599 isolated from leatherback turtle blood. | a newly described bacterial isolate, acinetobacter sp. hm746599, has been obtained from leatherback sea turtle hatchling blood. the implication is that the hatchling was infected during development in the egg, which is substantiated by other studies to be reported by us in the future. the 16s rrna gene sequence of the bacterium (genbank accession number: hm746599) showed the greatest similarity to the identified species, acinetobacter beijerinckii (97.6-99.78%) and acinetobacter venetianus (99.7 ... | 2011 | 21707734 |
| solitary large intestinal diverticulitis in leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea). | leatherback sea turtles are globally distributed and endangered throughout their range. there are limited data available on disease in this species. initial observations of solitary large intestinal diverticulitis in multiple leatherbacks led to a multi-institutional review of cases. of 31 subadult and adult turtles for which complete records were available, all had a single exudate-filled diverticulum, as large as 9.0 cm in diameter, arising from the large intestine immediately distal to the il ... | 2015 | 25239052 |
| mycobacterium haemophilum infection in a juvenile leatherback sea turtle (dermochelys coriacea). | mycobacteriosis is infrequently reported in free-ranging sea turtles. nontuberculous mycobacterium haemophilum was identified as the causative agent of disseminated mycobacteriosis in a juvenile leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriacea) that was found stranded on the atlantic coast of florida. disseminated granulomatous inflammation was identified histologically, most notably affecting the nervous system. identification of mycobacterial infection was based on cytologic, molecular, histologic, an ... | 2016 | 27698171 |
| post-mortem investigations on a leatherback turtle dermochelys coriacea stranded along the northern adriatic coastline. | leatherback sea turtles dermochelys coriacea are regularly reported in the mediterranean sea but rarely reach the northern adriatic sea. in the summer of 2009, a well-preserved carcass of an adult female of this species was found dead along the coast of lido di venezia. a complete necropsy was carried out, along with evaluation of levels of tissue trace elements. the the post-mortem revealed acute severe bacterial gastroenteritis caused by photobacterium damselae ssp. piscicida, an opportunistic ... | 2012 | 22885515 |
| 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 |
| salmonella enterica prevalence in leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea) in st. kitts, west indies. | salmonella spp. are gram-negative bacteria capable of causing diseases in a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial animals, including humans. sea and terrestrial turtles have been recognized as carriers of this zoonotic pathogen. in this project, conventional and molecular diagnostic methods were combined to investigate the prevalence of salmonella enterica in leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea) that used the island of st. kitts, west indies as a nesting ground during 2011 (n = 21). is ... | 2013 | 24063110 |
| an immunohistochemical approach to identify the sex of young marine turtles. | marine turtles exhibit temperature-dependent sex determination (tsd). during critical periods of embryonic development, the nest's thermal environment directs whether an embryo will develop as a male or female. at warmer sand temperatures, nests tend to produce female-biased sex ratios. the rapid increase of global temperature highlights the need for a clear assessment of its effects on sea turtle sex ratios. however, estimating hatchling sex ratios at rookeries remains imprecise due to the lack ... | 2017 | 28296279 |
| conservation hotspots for marine turtle nesting in the united states based on coastal development. | coastal areas provide nesting habitat for marine turtles that is critical for the persistence of their populations. however, many coastal areas are highly affected by coastal development, which affects the reproductive success of marine turtles. knowing the extent to which nesting areas are exposed to these threats is essential to guide management initiatives. this information is particularly important for coastal areas with both high nesting density and dense human development, a combination th ... | 2016 | 27907265 |
| coastal leatherback turtles reveal conservation hotspot. | previous studies have shown that the world's largest reptile - the leatherback turtle dermochelys coriacea - conducts flexible foraging migrations that can cover thousands of kilometres between nesting sites and distant foraging areas. the vast distances that may be travelled by migrating leatherback turtles have greatly complicated conservation efforts for this species worldwide. however, we demonstrate, using a combination of satellite telemetry and stable isotope analysis, that approximately ... | 2016 | 27886262 |
| risk analysis reveals global hotspots for marine debris ingestion by sea turtles. | plastic marine debris pollution is rapidly becoming one of the critical environmental concerns facing wildlife in the 21st century. here we present a risk analysis for plastic ingestion by sea turtles on a global scale. we combined global marine plastic distributions based on ocean drifter data with sea turtle habitat maps to predict exposure levels to plastic pollution. empirical data from necropsies of deceased animals were then utilised to assess the consequence of exposure to plastics. we mo ... | 2016 | 26365568 |
| fishery gear interactions from stranded bottlenose dolphins, florida manatees and sea turtles in florida, u.s.a. | documenting the extent of fishery gear interactions is critical to wildlife conservation efforts, especially for reducing entanglements and ingestion. this study summarizes fishery gear interactions involving common bottlenose dolphins (tursiops truncatus truncatus), florida manatees (trichechus manatus latirostris) and sea turtles: loggerhead (caretta caretta), green turtle (chelonia mydas), leatherback (dermochelys coriacea), hawksbill (eretmochelys imbricata), kemp's ridley (lepidochelys kemp ... | 2014 | 24613263 |
| global analysis of anthropogenic debris ingestion by sea turtles. | ingestion of marine debris can have lethal and sublethal effects on sea turtles and other wildlife. although researchers have reported on ingestion of anthropogenic debris by marine turtles and implied incidences of debris ingestion have increased over time, there has not been a global synthesis of the phenomenon since 1985. thus, we analyzed 37 studies published from 1985 to 2012 that report on data collected from before 1900 through 2011. specifically, we investigated whether ingestion prevale ... | 2014 | 23914794 |
| are coastal protected areas always effective in achieving population recovery for nesting sea turtles? | sea turtles are highly migratory and usually dispersed, but aggregate off beaches during the nesting season, rendering them vulnerable to coastal threats. consequently, coastal marine protection areas (mpas) have been used to facilitate the recovery of turtle populations, but the effectiveness of these programs is uncertain as most have been operating for less than a single turtle generation (or<20 yr). south africa, however, hosts one of the longest running conservation programs, protecting nes ... | 2013 | 23671683 |
| public willingness to pay for recovering and downlisting threatened and endangered marine species. | nonmarket valuation research has produced economic value estimates for a variety of threatened, endangered, and rare species around the world. although over 40 value estimates exist, it is often difficult to compare values from different studies due to variations in study design, implementation, and modeling specifications. we conducted a stated-preference choice experiment to estimate the value of recovering or downlisting 8 threatened and endangered marine species in the united states: loggerh ... | 2012 | 22827248 |
| frequency response characteristics of isolated retinas from hatchling leatherback (dermochelys coriacea l.) and loggerhead (caretta caretta l.) sea turtles. | electroretinographic recordings were made from hatchling loggerhead and leatherback sea turtle eyecup preparations during presentation of sinusoidally modulated lights of different frequencies, mean intensities and colors. cross-correlation analysis was performed to determine the extent to which the responses followed the intensity modulated light sources. for both species mean light intensity had no significant effect on the frequency modulated responses over a 1.5 log unit range of intensities ... | 2009 | 19146881 |
| comparative morphology and sex identification of the reproductive system in formalin-preserved sea turtle specimens. | sex identification in young sea turtles is challenging. sea turtle neonates lack external dimorphic characteristics and heteromorphic sex chromosomes. we compared the morphology of the gonads and reproductive ducts of dead formalin-preserved hatchling and post-hatchling caretta caretta, dermochelys coriacea, and chelonia mydas and identified sex-specific differences in these structures that are useful in assigning sex. we tested 11 gross gonadal and reproductive duct characteristics in 57 neonat ... | 2008 | 18234484 |
| population genetics and phylogeography of sea turtles. | the seven species of sea turtles occupy a diversity of niches, and have a history tracing back over 100 million years, yet all share basic life-history features, including exceptional navigation skills and periodic migrations from feeding to breeding habitats. here, we review the biogeographic, behavioural, and ecological factors that shape the distribution of genetic diversity in sea turtles. natal homing, wherein turtles return to their region of origin for mating and nesting, has been demonst ... | 2007 | 17944856 |
| sea turtle species vary in their susceptibility to tropical cyclones. | severe climatic events affect all species, but there is little quantitative knowledge of how sympatric species react to such situations. we compared the reproductive seasonality of sea turtles that nest sympatrically with their vulnerability to tropical cyclones (in this study, "tropical cyclone" refers to tropical storms and hurricanes), which are increasing in severity due to changes in global climate. storm surges significantly decreased reproductive output by lowering the number of nests tha ... | 2007 | 17479295 |
| trophic status drives interannual variability in nesting numbers of marine turtles. | large annual fluctuations are seen in breeding numbers in many populations of non-annual breeders. we examined the interannual variation in nesting numbers of populations of green (chelonia mydas) (n = 16 populations), loggerhead (caretta caretta) (n = 10 populations), leatherback (dermochelys coriacea) (n = 9 populations) and hawksbill turtles (eretmochelys imbricata) (n = 10 populations). interannual variation was greatest in the green turtle. when comparing green and loggerhead turtles nestin ... | 2001 | 11454292 |
| molecular phylogeny for marine turtles based on sequences of the nd4-leucine trna and control regions of mitochondrial dna. | marine turtles are divided into two families, the dermochelyidae and the cheloniidae. the majority of species are currently placed within the two tribes of the cheloniidae, the chelonini and the carettini, but debate continues over generic and tribal affinities as well as species boundaries. we used nucleotide sequences (907 bp) from the nd4-leu trna region and the control region (526 bp) of mitochondrial dna to resolve areas of uncertainty in marine turtle (chelonioidae) systematics. the nd4-le ... | 1996 | 8744764 |
| trans-6-hexadecenoic acid in the atlantic leatherbackdermochelys coriacea coriacea l. and other marine turtles. | depot fat from the atlantic leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriacea coriacea l.) was shown to contain ≈3% oftrans-6-hexadecenoic acid. structural details were elucidated through comparative aspects of isolation techniques, nmr, ir, hydrogenation, oxidative fission, etc., and confirmed by similarity of properties with those of a sample of fatty acid of this structure isolated from the seed oil ofpicramnia sellowii. one additional leather-back turtle oil sample, and depot fat from two other marin ... | 1970 | 27520952 |
| impact of jaguar panthera onca (carnivora: felidae) predation on marine turtle populations in tortuguero, caribbean coast of costa rica. | little is known about the effects of jaguars on the population of marine turtles nesting in tortuguero national park, costa rica. this study assessed jaguar predation impact on three species of marine turtles (chelonia mydas, dermochelys coriacea and eretmochelys imbricata) that nest in tortuguero beach. jaguar predation data was obtained by using two methodologies, literature review (historical records prior the year 2005) and weekly surveys along the 29 km stretch of beach during the period 20 ... | 2015 | 26666135 |
| contextualising the last survivors: population structure of marine turtles in the dominican republic. | nesting by three species of marine turtles persists in the dominican republic, despite historic threats and long-term population decline. we conducted a genetic survey of marine turtles in the dominican republic in order to link them with other rookeries around the caribbean. we sequenced a 740bp fragment of the control region of the mitochondrial dna of 92 samples from three marine turtle species [hawksbill (n = 48), green (n = 2) and leatherback (n = 42)], and incorporated published data from ... | 2013 | 23840394 |
| [kap study (knowledge-attitude-practice) on seafood poisoning on the southwest coast of madagascar]. | in june and july 1996, a knowledge, attitude and practice survey concerning seafood poisonings was conducted in tuléar province, 41 villages spread along 300 km of cost, with some 34,000 inhabitants, were included in the survey. 84 seafood poisonings after fish, shark and turtle meals occurred during the period 1931 to 1995; 14 of them were responsible of deaths. the family of toxic fishes are clupeidae, tetraodontidae, scaridae and siganidae. sphyrna lewini is the shark species the most often r ... | 1999 | 10214522 |
| thermal independence of muscle tissue metabolism in the leatherback turtle, dermochelys coriacea. | metabolic rates of animal tissues typically increase with increasing temperature and thermoregulatory control in an animal is a regional or whole body process. here we report that metabolic rates of isolated leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriacea) pectoralis muscle are independent of temperature from 5-38 degrees c (q10 = 1). conversely, metabolic rates of green turtle (chelonia mydas) pectoralis muscle exhibit a typical vertebrate response and increase with increasing temperature (q10 = 1.3-3 ... | 1998 | 9787823 |
| seaward orientation of hatchling turtles: turning systems in the optic tectum. | this paper reports studies on the mechanisms underlying seaward orientation in hatchling turtles. the particular aim was to investigate whether activity in different regions of the retina and associated tectal areas, as assessed by some comparator mechanism, results in turning in different directions. hatchling green turtles (chelonia mydas) were tested for sea-finding ability in a natural situation on the beach following lesions of the optic tectum. asymmetrical bilateral lesions resulted in a ... | 1979 | 487064 |
| crying a river: how much salt-laden jelly can a leatherback turtle really eat? | leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) are capital breeders that accumulate blubber (33 kj g wet mass(-1)) by hyperphagia on a gelatinous diet at high latitudes; they breed in the tropics. a jellyfish diet is energy-poor (0.1-0.2 kj g wet mass(-1)), so leatherbacks must ingest large quantities. two published estimates of feeding rate (50% body mass d(-1) (on rhizostoma pulmo), 73% body mass d(-1) (on cyanea capillata)) have been criticised as too high. jellyfish have high salt and water cont ... | 2017 | 28235909 |
| hydrodynamic role of longitudinal dorsal ridges in a leatherback turtle swimming. | leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea) are known to have a superior diving ability and be highly adapted to pelagic swimming. they have five longitudinal ridges on their carapace. although it was conjectured that these ridges might be an adaptation for flow control, no rigorous study has been performed to understand their hydrodynamic roles. here we show that these ridges are slightly misaligned to the streamlines around the body to generate streamwise vortices, and suppress or delay flo ... | 2016 | 27694826 |
| coccidial infection of the adrenal glands of leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea). | histologic lesions incidental to the cause of death were observed in the adrenal glands of 17 subadult and adult leatherback sea turtles ( dermochelys coriacea ) found dead or moribund on or near shore in north america. round bodies, 250-300 μm in diameter composed of an outer capsule and large multinucleated cells surrounding a central mass of acellular material were distributed throughout the affected glands. protozoal etiology was suspected based on some resemblance to coccidia; however, feat ... | 2016 | 27455196 |
| endocrine responses to diverse stressors of capture, entanglement and stranding in leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea). | leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) are exposed to many anthropogenic stressors, yet almost no data on stress physiology exist for this species. as a first step toward understanding the physiological responses of leatherback turtles to stress, and with the particular goal of assessment of the effect of capture, we quantified corticosterone (an adrenal stress hormone) and thyroxine (a regulator of metabolic rate, often inhibited by chronic stress) in 17 healthy leatherback turtles captured ... | 2016 | 27413532 |
| the influence of fluvial dynamics and north atlantic swells on the beach habitat of leatherback turtles at grande riviere trinidad. | grande riviere beach, located on the north coast of trinidad, west indies, is internationally recognised as a critical habitat/nesting ground for the endangered leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea). episodic extreme flooding of the grande riviere river led to the shifting of the river mouth and resulted in backshore beach erosion, with the most recent recorded event occurring in 2012. following this event, the construction of a sand dam to arrest further erosion which threatened coastal in ... | 2016 | 27213864 |
| validation of ultrasound as a noninvasive tool to measure subcutaneous fat depth in leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea). | leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) undergo substantial cyclical changes in body condition between foraging and nesting. ultrasonography has been used to measure subcutaneous fat as an indicator of body condition in many species but has not been applied in sea turtles. to validate this technique in leatherback turtles, ultrasound images were obtained from 36 live-captured and dead-stranded immature and adult turtles from foraging and nesting areas in the pacific and atlantic oceans. ultra ... | 2016 | 27010287 |
| persistent organic pollutant levels in eggs of leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) point to a decrease in hatching success. | sea turtles are susceptible to environmental pollution, since many harmful effects have been reported for different chemicals over the last two decades. in this context, persistent organic pollutants (pops), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbdes) are of particular concern due to their endocrine-disrupting nature. the aims of this study were to provide additional baseline data on pcb and pbde concentrations in eggs of dermochelys coriacea; and to inves ... | 2016 | 26735737 |
| global analysis of the effect of local climate on the hatchling output of leatherback turtles. | the most recent climate change projections show a global increase in temperatures along with precipitation changes throughout the 21(st) century. however, regional projections do not always match global projections and species with global distributions may exhibit varying regional susceptibility to climate change. here we show the effect of local climatic conditions on the hatchling output of leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) at four nesting sites encompassing the pacific, atlantic and ... | 2015 | 26572897 |
| leatherback sea turtle shell: a tough and flexible biological design. | the leatherback sea turtle is unique among chelonians for having a soft skin which covers its osteoderms. the osteoderm is composed of bony plates that are interconnected with collagen fibers in a structure called suture. the soft dermis and suture geometry enable a significant amount of flexing of the junction between adjacent osteoderms. this design allows the body to contract better than a hard-shelled sea turtle as it dives to depths of over 1,000 m. the leatherback turtle has ridges along t ... | 2015 | 26391496 |
| estimating limit reference points for western pacific leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) in the u.s. west coast eez. | biological limit reference points (lrps) for fisheries catch represent upper bounds that avoid undesirable population states. lrps can support consistent management evaluation among species and regions, and can advance ecosystem-based fisheries management. for transboundary species, lrps prorated by local abundance can inform local management decisions when international coordination is lacking. we estimated lrps for western pacific leatherbacks in the u.s. west coast exclusive economic zone (wc ... | 2015 | 26368557 |
| bayesian inference and assessment for rare-event bycatch in marine fisheries: a drift gillnet fishery case study. | fisheries bycatch is a global threat to marine megafauna. environmental laws require bycatch assessment for protected species, but this is difficult when bycatch is rare. low bycatch rates, combined with low observer coverage, may lead to biased, imprecise estimates when using standard ratio estimators. bayesian model-based approaches incorporate uncertainty, produce less volatile estimates, and enable probabilistic evaluation of estimates relative to management thresholds. here, we demonstrate ... | 2015 | 26263664 |
| core and body surface temperatures of nesting leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea). | leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) are the largest species of marine turtle and the fourth most massive extant reptile. in temperate waters they maintain body temperatures higher than surrounding seawater through a combination of insulation, physiological, and behavioural adaptations. nesting involves physical activity in addition to contact with warm sand and air, potentially presenting thermal challenges in the absence of the cooling effect of water, and data are lacking with which to ... | 2015 | 25965013 |
| climate change overruns resilience conferred by temperature-dependent sex determination in sea turtles and threatens their survival. | temperature-dependent sex determination (tsd) is the predominant form of environmental sex determination (esd) in reptiles, but the adaptive significance of tsd in this group remains unclear. additionally, the viability of species with tsd may be compromised as climate gets warmer. we simulated population responses in a turtle with tsd to increasing nest temperatures and compared the results to those of a virtual population with genotypic sex determination (gsd) and fixed sex ratios. then, we as ... | 2015 | 25929883 |
| orientation behaviour of leatherback sea turtles within the north atlantic subtropical gyre. | leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea) travel thousands of kilometres between temperate feeding and tropical breeding/over-wintering grounds, with adult turtles able to pinpoint specific nesting beaches after multi-year absences. their extensive migrations often occur in oceanic habitat where limited known sensory information is available to aid in orientation. here, we examined the migratory orientation of adult male, adult female and subadult leatherbacks during their open-ocean moveme ... | 2015 | 25761714 |
| leatherbacks swimming in silico: modeling and verifying their momentum and heat balance using computational fluid dynamics. | as global temperatures increase throughout the coming decades, species ranges will shift. new combinations of abiotic conditions will make predicting these range shifts difficult. biophysical mechanistic niche modeling places bounds on an animal's niche through analyzing the animal's physical interactions with the environment. biophysical mechanistic niche modeling is flexible enough to accommodate these new combinations of abiotic conditions. however, this approach is difficult to implement for ... | 2014 | 25354303 |
| behavioral and metabolic contributions to thermoregulation in freely swimming leatherback turtles at high latitudes. | leatherback turtles in the northwest atlantic ocean have a broad geographic range that extends from nesting beaches near the equator to seasonal foraging grounds as far north as canada. the ability of leatherbacks to maintain core body temperature (tb) higher than that of the surrounding water is thought to be a key element of their biology that permits them to exploit productive waters at high latitudes. we provide the first recordings of tb from freely swimming leatherbacks at a northern forag ... | 2014 | 25141345 |
| mercury and selenium ingestion rates of atlantic leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea): a cause for concern in this species? | bodily accumulation of certain toxic elements can cause physiologic harm to marine organisms and be detrimental to their health and survival. the leatherback sea turtle (dermochelys coriacea) is a broadly distributed marine reptile capable of consuming hundreds of kilograms of gelatinous zooplankton each day. little is known about toxicants present in these prey items. specifically, mercury is a known neurotoxin with no known essential function, while selenium detoxifies bodily mercury, but can ... | 2014 | 24853722 |
| sedation and anesthesia of hatchling leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea) for auditory evoked potential measurement in air and in water. | sedation or anesthesia of hatchling leatherback sea turtles was employed to acquire auditory evoked potential (aep) measurements in air and in water to assess their hearing sensitivity in relation to potential consequences from anthropogenic noise. to reduce artifacts in aep collection caused by muscle movement, hatchlings were sedated with midazolam 2 or 3 mg/kg i.v. for in-air (n = 7) or in-water (n = 11) aep measurements; hatchlings (n = 5) were anesthetized with ketamine 6 mg/kg and dexmedet ... | 2014 | 24712166 |
| leatherback turtle movements, dive behavior, and habitat characteristics in ecoregions of the northwest atlantic ocean. | leatherback sea turtles, dermochelys coriacea, are highly migratory predators that feed exclusively on gelatinous zooplankton, thus playing a unique role in coastal and pelagic food webs. from 2007 to 2010, we used satellite telemetry to monitor the movements and dive behavior of nine adult and eleven subadult leatherbacks captured on the northeast usa shelf and tracked throughout the northwest atlantic. leatherback movements and environmental associations varied by oceanographic region, with sl ... | 2014 | 24646920 |
| pan-atlantic analysis of the overlap of a highly migratory species, the leatherback turtle, with pelagic longline fisheries. | large oceanic migrants play important roles in ecosystems, yet many species are of conservation concern as a result of anthropogenic threats, of which incidental capture by fisheries is frequently identified. the last large populations of the leatherback turtle, dermochelys coriacea, occur in the atlantic ocean, but interactions with industrial fisheries could jeopardize recent positive population trends, making bycatch mitigation a priority. here, we perform the first pan-atlantic analysis of s ... | 2014 | 24523271 |
| breeding sex ratios in adult leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) may compensate for female-biased hatchling sex ratios. | for vertebrates with temperature-dependent sex determination, primary (or hatchling) sex ratios are often skewed, an issue of particular relevance to concerns over effects of climate change on populations. however, the ratio of breeding males to females, or the operational sex ratio (osr), is important to understand because it has consequences for population demographics and determines the capacity of a species to persist. the osr also affects mating behaviors and mate choice, depending on the m ... | 2014 | 24505403 |
| cost-effectiveness of alternative conservation strategies with application to the pacific leatherback turtle. | although holistic conservation addressing all sources of mortality for endangered species or stocks is the preferred conservation strategy, limited budgets require a criterion to prioritize conservation investments. we compared the cost-effectiveness of nesting site and at-sea conservation strategies for pacific leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea). we sought to determine which conservation strategy or mix of strategies would produce the largest increase in population growth rate per dolla ... | 2014 | 24405417 |
| predicting bycatch hotspots for endangered leatherback turtles on longlines in the pacific ocean. | fisheries bycatch is a critical source of mortality for rapidly declining populations of leatherback turtles, dermochelys coriacea. we integrated use-intensity distributions for 135 satellite-tracked adult turtles with longline fishing effort to estimate predicted bycatch risk over space and time in the pacific ocean. areas of predicted bycatch risk did not overlap for eastern and western pacific nesting populations, warranting their consideration as distinct management units with respect to fis ... | 2014 | 24403331 |
| serial assessment of the physiological status of leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) during direct capture events in the northwestern atlantic ocean: comparison of post-capture and pre-release data. | the physiological status of seven leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) was assessed at two time points during ecological research capture events in the northwestern atlantic ocean. data were collected as soon as possible after securing each turtle onboard the capture vessel and again immediately prior to release. measured parameters included sea surface temperature, body temperature, morphometric data, sex, heart rate, respiratory rate and various haematological and blood biochemical varia ... | 2014 | 27293669 |
| seasonal trends in nesting leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriacea) serum proteins further verify capital breeding hypothesis. | serum protein concentrations provide insight into the nutritional and immune status of organisms. it has been suggested that some marine turtles are capital breeders that fast during the nesting season. in this study, we documented serum proteins in neophyte and remigrant nesting leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea). this allowed us to establish trends across the nesting season to determine whether these physiological parameters indicate if leatherbacks forage or fast while on nesting ... | 2014 | 27293623 |
| mass spectrometry-based sequencing and srm-based quantitation of two novel vitellogenin isoforms in the leatherback sea turtle (dermochelys coriacea). | no biomarker has yet been discovered to identify the reproductive status of the endangered leatherback sea turtle (dermochelys coriacea). although vitellogenin (vtg) could be used for this, its sequence is not known in d. coriacea and no quantitative assay has been carried out in this species to date. using de novo sequencing-based proteomics, we unambiguously characterized sequences of two different vtg isoforms that we named dc-vtg1 and dc-vtg2. to our knowledge, this is the first clear eviden ... | 2013 | 23837631 |
| leatherback turtles are capital breeders: morphometric and physiological evidence from longitudinal monitoring. | organisms compensate for reproduction costs through two major strategies: capital breeders store body reserves before reproduction and do not feed during the breeding season, whereas income breeders adjust their food intake depending on concurrent reproductive needs. sea turtles are commonly considered capital breeders. yet recent biometric and behavioral studies have suggested that sea turtles may in fact feed during reproduction. we tested this hypothesis in the leatherback turtle dermochelys ... | 2013 | 23799833 |
| mercury and selenium concentrations in leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea): population comparisons, implications for reproductive success, hazard quotients and directions for future research. | leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea) are long-distance migrants that travel thousands of km from foraging grounds to breeding and nesting grounds. these extensive journeys are fueled by ingestion of an estimated 300-400 kg of prey/d and likely result in exposure to high concentrations of environmental toxicants (e.g., mercury compounds). increased bodily concentrations of mercury and its compounds in nesting female turtles may have detrimental effects on reproductive success. leatherba ... | 2013 | 23792248 |
| recent demographic history and present fine-scale structure in the northwest atlantic leatherback (dermochelys coriacea) turtle population. | the leatherback turtle dermochelys coriacea is the most widely distributed sea turtle species in the world. it exhibits complex life traits: female homing and migration, migrations of juveniles and males that remain poorly known, and a strong climatic influence on resources, breeding success and sex-ratio. it is consequently challenging to understand population dynamics. leatherbacks are critically endangered, yet the group from the northwest atlantic is currently considered to be under lower ri ... | 2013 | 23516429 |
| assignment tests, telemetry and tag-recapture data converge to identify natal origins of leatherback turtles foraging in atlantic canadian waters. | investigating migratory connectivity between breeding and foraging areas is critical to effective management and conservation of highly mobile marine taxa, particularly threatened, endangered, or economically important species that cross through regional, national and international boundaries. the leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriacea, vandelli 1761) is one such transboundary species that spends time at breeding areas at low latitudes in the northwest atlantic during spring and summer. from t ... | 2013 | 23464527 |
| measuring the level of agreement in hematologic and biochemical values between blood sampling sites in leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea). | conservation programs to protect endangered sea turtles are being instituted worldwide. a common practice in these programs is to collect blood to evaluate the health of the turtles. several different venipuncture sites are used to collect blood from sea turtles for hematologic and biochemistry tests, depending on the species. to date, it is unknown what affect venipuncture site may have on sample results. the purpose of this study was to measure the level of agreement between hematologic and bi ... | 2012 | 23272336 |
| resource requirements of the pacific leatherback turtle population. | the pacific population of leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea) has drastically declined in the last 25 years. this decline has been linked to incidental capture by fisheries, egg and meat harvesting, and recently, to climate variability and resource limitation. here we couple growth rates with feeding experiments and food intake functions to estimate daily energy requirements of leatherbacks throughout their development. we then estimate mortality rates from available data, enabling us ... | 2012 | 23071518 |
| telomeres, age and reproduction in a long-lived reptile. | a major interest has recently emerged in understanding how telomere shortening, mechanism triggering cell senescence, is linked to organism ageing and life history traits in wild species. however, the links between telomere length and key history traits such as reproductive performances have received little attention and remain unclear to date. the leatherback turtle dermochelys coriacea is a long-lived species showing rapid growth at early stages of life, one of the highest reproductive outputs ... | 2012 | 22808278 |
| stable isotope tracking of endangered sea turtles: validation with satellite telemetry and δ15n analysis of amino acids. | effective conservation strategies for highly migratory species must incorporate information about long-distance movements and locations of high-use foraging areas. however, the inherent challenges of directly monitoring these factors call for creative research approaches and innovative application of existing tools. highly migratory marine species, such as marine turtles, regularly travel hundreds or thousands of kilometers between breeding and feeding areas, but identification of migratory rout ... | 2012 | 22666354 |
| shape and material characteristics of the trachea in the leatherback sea turtle promote progressive collapse and reinflation during dives. | the leatherback turtle regularly undertakes deep dives and has been recorded attaining depths in excess of 1200 m. its trachea is an almost solid, elliptical-section tube of uncalcified hyaline cartilage with minimal connective tissue between successive rings. the structure appears to be advantageous for diving and perfectly designed for withstanding repeated collapse and reinflation. this study applies boyle's law to the respiratory system (lungs, trachea and larynx) and estimates the changes i ... | 2012 | 22660778 |
| climate driven egg and hatchling mortality threatens survival of eastern pacific leatherback turtles. | egg-burying reptiles need relatively stable temperature and humidity in the substrate surrounding their eggs for successful development and hatchling emergence. here we show that egg and hatchling mortality of leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) in northwest costa rica were affected by climatic variability (precipitation and air temperature) driven by the el niño southern oscillation (enso). drier and warmer conditions associated with el niño increased egg and hatchling mortality. the fou ... | 2012 | 22649544 |
| identification of distinct movement patterns in pacific leatherback turtle populations influenced by ocean conditions. | interactions with fisheries are believed to be a major cause of mortality for adult leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea), which is of particular concern in the pacific ocean, where they have been rapidly declining. in order to identify where these interactions are occurring and how they may be reduced, it is essential first to understand the movements and behavior of leatherback turtles. there are two regional nesting populations in the east pacific (ep) and west pacific (wp), comprising m ... | 2012 | 22645807 |
| movement patterns for a critically endangered species, the leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriacea), linked to foraging success and population status. | foraging success for pelagic vertebrates may be revealed by horizontal and vertical movement patterns. we show markedly different patterns for leatherback turtles in the north atlantic versus eastern pacific, which feed on gelatinous zooplankton that are only occasionally found in high densities. in the atlantic, travel speed was characterized by two modes, indicative of high foraging success at low speeds (<15 km d(-1)) and transit at high speeds (20-45 km d(-1)). only a single mode was evident ... | 2012 | 22615767 |
| jellyfish support high energy intake of leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea): video evidence from animal-borne cameras. | the endangered leatherback turtle is a large, highly migratory marine predator that inexplicably relies upon a diet of low-energy gelatinous zooplankton. the location of these prey may be predictable at large oceanographic scales, given that leatherback turtles perform long distance migrations (1000s of km) from nesting beaches to high latitude foraging grounds. however, little is known about the profitability of this migration and foraging strategy. we used gps location data and video from anim ... | 2012 | 22438906 |
| on the dispersal of leatherback turtle hatchlings from mesoamerican nesting beaches. | so little is known about the early life history of leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) from hatchling to adulthood that this period has been termed the 'lost years'. for critically endangered eastern pacific leatherback populations, continued and rapid declines underscore the urgent need to develop conservation strategies across all life stages. we investigate leatherback hatchling dispersal from four mesoamerican nesting beaches using passive tracer experiments within a regional ocean mo ... | 2012 | 22378803 |
| maternal health status correlates with nest success of leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea) from florida. | of the seven sea turtle species, the critically endangered leatherback sea turtle (dermochelys coriacea) exhibits the lowest and most variable nest success (i.e., hatching success and emergence success) for reasons that remain largely unknown. in an attempt to identify or rule out causes of low reproductive success in this species, we established the largest sample size (n = 60-70 for most values) of baseline blood parameters (protein electrophoresis, hematology, plasma biochemistry) for this sp ... | 2012 | 22359635 |
| does prey size matter? novel observations of feeding in the leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriacea) allow a test of predator-prey size relationships. | optimal foraging models predict that large predators should concentrate on large prey in order to maximize their net gain of energy intake. here, we show that the largest species of sea turtle, dermochelys coriacea, does not strictly adhere to this general pattern. field observations combined with a theoretical model suggest that a 300 kg leatherback turtle would meet its energetic requirements by feeding for 3-4 h a day on 4 g jellyfish, but only if prey were aggregated in high-density patches. ... | 2012 | 22090203 |
| how do hatcheries influence embryonic development of sea turtle eggs? experimental analysis and isolation of microorganisms in leatherback turtle eggs. | many conservation programs consider translocation of turtle nests to hatcheries as a useful technique. the repeated use of the same incubation substrate over several seasons in these hatcheries could, however, be harmful to embryos if pathogens were able to accumulate or if the physical and chemical characteristics of the incubation environment were altered. however, this hypothesis has yet to be tested. we conducted two field experiments to evaluate the effects of hatchery sand and eggshell dec ... | 2012 | 22021044 |
| pleated turtle escapes the box--shape changes in dermochelys coriacea. | typical chelonians have a rigid carapace and plastron that form a box-like structure that constrains several aspects of their physiology and ecology. the leatherback sea turtle, dermochelys coriacea, has a flexible bony carapace strengthened by seven longitudinal ridges, whereas the plastron is reduced to an elliptical outer bony structure, so that the ventrum has no bony support. measurements of the shell were made on adult female leatherbacks studied on the feeding grounds of waters off nova s ... | 2011 | 21957111 |
| why are hatching and emergence success low? mercury and selenium concentrations in nesting leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea) and their young in florida. | leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea) have low hatching and emergence success compared to other sea turtle species. postmortem examinations of hatchlings showed degeneration of heart and skeletal muscle that was similar to that found in other neonates with selenium deficient mothers. selenium deficiency can result from elevated concentrations of bodily mercury. ingested mercury is detoxified by the liver through mercury-selenium compound formation. in animals persistently exposed to mer ... | 2011 | 21722926 |
| embryonic death is linked to maternal identity in the leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriacea). | leatherback turtles have an average global hatching success rate of ~50%, lower than other marine turtle species. embryonic death has been linked to environmental factors such as precipitation and temperature, although, there is still a lot of variability that remains to be explained. we examined how nesting season, the time of nesting each season, the relative position of each clutch laid by each female each season, maternal identity and associated factors such as reproductive experience of the ... | 2011 | 21695086 |
| leatherback nests increasing significantly in florida, usa; trends assessed over 30 years using multilevel modeling. | understanding population status for endangered species is critical to developing and evaluating recovery plans mandated by the endangered species act. for sea turtles, changes in abundance are difficult to detect because most life stages occur in the water. currently, nest counts are the most reliable way of assessing trends. we determined the rate of growth for leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriacea) nest numbers in florida (usa) using a multilevel poisson regression. we modeled nest counts f ... | 2011 | 21516903 |
| comparative health assessment of western pacific leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) foraging off the coast of california, 2005-2007. | leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) are critically endangered, primarily threatened by the overharvesting of eggs, fisheries entanglement, and coastal development. the pacific leatherback population has experienced a catastrophic decline over the past two decades. leatherbacks foraging off the coast of california are part of a distinct western pacific breeding stock that nests on beaches in indonesia, papua new guinea, and the solomon islands. although it has been proposed that the rapid ... | 2011 | 21441185 |
| beach erosion and nest site selection by the leatherback sea turtle dermochelys coriacea (testudines: dermochelyidae) and implications for management practices at playa gandoca, costa rica. | leatherback sea turtles (dermochelys coriacea) nest on dynamic, erosion-prone beaches. erosive processes and resulting nest loss have long been presumed to be a hindrance to clutch survival. in order to better understand how leatherbacks cope with unstable nesting beaches, i investigated the role of beach erosion in leatherback nest site selection at playa gandoca, costa rica. i also examined the potential effect of nest relocation, a conservation strategy in place at playa gandoca to prevent ne ... | 2010 | 21246989 |
| tracking leatherback turtles from the world's largest rookery: assessing threats across the south atlantic. | despite extensive work carried out on leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) in the north atlantic and indo-pacific, very little is known of the at-sea distribution of this species in the south atlantic, where the world's largest population nests in gabon (central africa). this paucity of data is of marked concern given the pace of industrialization in fisheries with demonstrable marine turtle bycatch in african/latin american waters. we tracked the movements of 25 adult female leatherback t ... | 2011 | 21208949 |
| opening and closing mechanisms of the leatherback sea turtle larynx: a crucial role for the tongue. | a combination of dissection and computed tomography scanning has provided significant novel insights into the structure and function of the dermochelys coriacea larynx and its associated muscles. several previously unknown features of the laryngeal aditus (glottis) are described and their functional significance in its opening and closure are considered. the tongue plays an essential part in producing and maintaining closure during dives and feeding bouts. closure is brought about by compression ... | 2010 | 21112993 |
| behaviour and physiology: the thermal strategy of leatherback turtles. | adult leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) exhibit thermal gradients between their bodies and the environment of ≥8°c in sub-polar waters and ≤4°c in the tropics. there has been no direct evidence for thermoregulation in leatherbacks although modelling and morphological studies have given an indication of how thermoregulation may be achieved. | 2010 | 21085716 |
| atlantic leatherback migratory paths and temporary residence areas. | sea turtles are long-distance migrants with considerable behavioural plasticity in terms of migratory patterns, habitat use and foraging sites within and among populations. however, for the most widely migrating turtle, the leatherback turtle dermochelys coriacea, studies combining data from individuals of different populations are uncommon. such studies are however critical to better understand intra- and inter-population variability and take it into account in the implementation of conservatio ... | 2010 | 21085472 |
| behaviour and buoyancy regulation in the deepest-diving reptile: the leatherback turtle. | in the face of the physical and physiological challenges of performing breath-hold deep dives, marine vertebrates have evolved different strategies. although behavioural strategies in marine mammals and seabirds have been investigated in detail, little is known about the deepest-diving reptile - the leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriacea). here, we deployed tri-axial accelerometers on female leatherbacks nesting on st croix, us virgin islands, to explore their diving strategy. our results show ... | 2010 | 21075949 |
| diel foraging behavior of gravid leatherback sea turtles in deep waters of the caribbean sea. | it is generally assumed that leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea), like other species of sea turtle, do not feed while offshore from nesting beaches, and rely instead on fat reserves to fuel reproductive activities. recent studies, however, provide evidence that leatherbacks may forage during the internesting interval while offshore in the western atlantic ocean and caribbean sea. bio-logging technology was used to investigate the foraging behavior of female leatherback turtles at st croix ... | 2010 | 21075937 |