Tracking the Confiscated Green Sea Turtles in the South China Sea:Where Did They Come From?Where Will They Go?

The population of the green sea turtle(Chelonia mydas)is under decline,threatened by bycatch and illegal acquisition despite worldwide protection efforts.However,the confiscation of illegally acquired sea turtles could aid in tracking their origin and movement patterns,crucial for effective conservation strategies.Combining satellite tracking and genetic analysis offers an opportunity to investigate the relationship between the origins and migration directions of green sea turtles in the western Pacific.Here,we applied two methods to investigate the spatial ecology of 18 green turtles caught as bycatch in the South China Sea.Our results revealed the genetic origins and diverse movements of the turtles.Bayesian Mixed Stock Analysis(MSA)suggested that these turtles originated from the rookery of the Xisha Islands(49.6%),central Ryukyu(24.6%),NE Borneo(8%),and the Sulu Sea(5.2%),with other rookeries in meagre proportions(<2%each).Satellite tracking showed the ranges of their travel were smaller than the whole contributed rookery range,but diverse.The haplotype diversity of these turtles is high,and CmP19 stands out as both the most frequent and the most diverse haplotype in terms of swimming destinations.These results indicate that the South China Sea is likely an important transportation hub and mating spot for green turtles.Our findings provided evidence for the rehabilitation of these green turtles in the wild and illustrated the complexity of movement during the green turtle’s life history,and the“mixed backgrounds”of the green turtles also highlight the need for joint conservation efforts of neighbouring countries in the South China Sea.

Nest Site Selection of Loggerhead and Leatherback Sea Turtles at the Eastern Coast of Inhaca Island, Mozambique

Nest site selection represents an important reproductive strategy for sea turtles as it can strongly affect the development and survival of the offsprings and the reproductive fitness of the adults. In this study we analyzed the nest site selection of loggerhead and leatherback turtles and the factors correlated with that selection at Inhaca Island. The spatial position of the nests was recorded during sea turtles nests monitoring and six nesting seasons were used. Satellite images of Inhaca were used to characterize some of the beach features that might be correlated with nest site selection. Nest distribution analysis revealed that loggerhead turtles tend to spread their nests along the entire beach, but a higher aggregation of nests was evident at the northern most section of the eastern coast. Leatherback turtles tend to nest in a restricted area, with approximately 40% nests at the central sections of the coast. Beach height was the physical variable significantly correlated to loggerhead＇s nest density （r = 0.309, N = 125, P 〈 0.01） while fin grain particles （specifically 0.125 mm grain size particles） （r = 0.399, N = 125, P 〈 0.01） and organic content （r = 0.218, N = 125, P 〈 0.05） were the variables significantly correlated to leatherback＇s nest density. No other factors investigated affected nest site selection of either species.

Sea Turtles in Vietnam： On the Edge of Extinction

Five species of foraging and breeding sea turtles have been identified in Vietnam, they are Green turtle （Chelonia mydas）, Loggerhead turtle （Caretta caretta）, Olive ridley turtle （Lepidochelys olivacea）, Hawksbill turtle （Eretmochelys imbricata） and Leatherback turtle （Dermochelys coriacea）. Among them, with the exception of Loggerhead turtle （Caretta caretta）, four species have been being lay eggs on the beaches along the country. However, these populations have been strongly suffered by human activities for decades. The number of foraging and breeding Hawksbill and Leatherback sea turtles has dramatically decreased, and Olive Ridley turtle has almost disappeared on their traditional nesting beaches. Beside the reason of harvesting eggs and nesting turtles by catch or by purpose, the developments in coastal areas where sea turtles laying eggs such as in shrimp aquaculture, tourist resort and residential area developments etc., also contributed to this decline of sea turtles. Despite the fact that the recent raising awareness programs on protection and conservation of the sea turtle were very well done with the participation of many organizations and provinces, this important animals still face the risk of extinction in Vietnam.

The first record of dermochelyid turtles in the Eocene of Tierra del Fuego:new insights on the evolution of the Weddellian faunas

The Antarctic Paleogene marine fossil record has been the key to reconstructing the evolution of the Weddellian Sea and final dismemberment of Southern Gondwana.In this context,Eocene marine vertebrates from Seymour(Marambio)Island have provided valuable information.We present the first Eocene record of marine reptiles from the southern Atlantic Coast of South America.This corresponds to several postcranial turtle remains represented by a proximal end of the right humerus,three caudal and one thoracic vertebrae,a fragment of the left pubis,and ten ossicles of the dorsal carapace,coming from the Leticia Formation(late-mid Eocene)at Cabo Tiburones,Tierra del Fuego,Argentina.These materials show severalfeatures such as the size and general morphology of the humerus and vertebrae,and the presence of relatively small,irregular,smooth,and unkeeled ossicles,which allow us to assign them to Dermochelyidae indet.Dermochelyids are a cosmopolitan group ofcryptodiran turtles,registered from the late Cretaceous up to the recent,with some physiological-biological peculiarities(e.g.,endothermy and an exclusive jellyfish-based diet)and characterized by the presence of an osseous carapace formed by ossicles.The new finding from the Leticia Formation is an addition to the scarce and extremely fragmentary record of Eocene dermochelyids from the southern seas like those from the La Meseta and Submeseta formations(Antarctica)and the Waihao and Burnside formations(New Zealand).This new information allows us to discuss the presence of these turtles in such high latitudes in the past and its implication in the evolution of the Weddellian fauna.

Sea Turtle Nesting: What Is Known and What Are the Challenges under a Changing Climate Scenario

The rate of climate change experienced globally in recent decades may compromise sea turtles’ survival;especially temperature increase, which is particularly fast, impacts life history characteristics, such as temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), late maturity and sea turtles highly migratory nature. This review aims to identify and summarize the information that has been collected from 2009-2020 in order to aid future empirical studies that seek to fill these and other knowledge gaps, and subsequently assist conservationists in making multilevel decisions to protect sea turtle populations and species. In a summarized way the general knowledge acquired so far on the influence of environmental abiotic and biotic factors on nesting behaviour and hatching, emergence and survival successes of sea turtle hatchlings, was gathered. To accomplish this work, a search on Web of Science, Science Direct, NCBI/PubMed, and Google Scholar was carried out using the terms “sea turtles + climate change”. Published articles in the period 2009-2020 were selected, related to the nesting ecology of 5 species of sea turtles: Caretta caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata, Dermochelys coriacea, Chelonia mydas, Lepidochelys olivacea. Emphasis was also placed on geographical information and on population location (e.g. climatic conditions during the nesting season). These articles (N = 126) were analysed giving relevance to researcher’s data interpretations, comparisons with other researches, and the reached conclusions. An attempt was made to represent all 5 species of sea turtles when selecting articles on each of the environmental factors that influence sea turtle nesting: temperature, humidity, nesting substrate, gases, depth of the nest, sea surface temperature (SST), nest location on the beach, nesting phenology and geographic distribution of nesting habitats. The interaction between these parameters and their consequences on the terrestrial phase of reproduction are presented and discussed.

Intravascular Access in Chelonia mydas and Dermochelys coriacea Using the Seldinger Technique U Itrasou nd-Guided

Strand-ed turtles need fluid parenterally. The jugular access is best for the maintenance and patency of the catheter. The Seldinger technique guided by ultrasound seems to be the safest for catheter insertion. Five juveniles Chelonia mydas with fibropapillomatosis and an adult male leatherback turtle （Dermochelys coriacea） with altered buoyancy were sent to Santos Municipal Aquarium for rehabilitation. Turtles underwent catheterization of the jugular vein using the Seldinger technique with central venous polyurethane catheter monolumen 14 G to Dermochelys and 18 G for Chelonia, guided by ultrasound with 10 MHz transducer catheters were sutured to the skin and animals were subjected to fluid. In all turtles, the catheters were patency and were well established. There were no granulomatous reactions or related infections. The Dermochelys improved clinically after fluid resuscitation, and the catheter was removed one week after. In one Chelonia excision was 21% of its weight in tumors, and the animals received colloid catheter by enabling the mitigation of bleeding due to removal. The use of ultrasonography has enabled monitoring of all access as the patency of the catheter and fluid diffusivity.

An Inventory of Some Relatively Large Marine Mammals, Reptiles, and Fishes Sighted, Caught, By-Caught, or Stranded in the Mediterranean Coast of the Gaza Strip-Palestine

The Mediterranean Sea is home to an interesting biodiversity. The current cumulative and descriptive study aims to enumerate some relatively large marine mammals, reptiles, and fishes that have been spotted, caught, by-caught, or stranded on the coast of the Gaza Strip, Palestine, which extends about 42 km along the Mediterranean Sea. This 20-year study from 2003 to 2022 relied much on frequent field visits, meetings, and discussions with stakeholders, following local media sites and social media pages, and photography. The study recorded at least 26 giants or relatively large marine organisms on the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Certainly, the coming years may bring other marine organisms of relatively large sizes. Marine mammals included three species of cetaceans with the Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) being the largest mammal and even the largest animal ever recorded in this study. Marine reptiles included three species of sea turtles, the largest of which is the Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), which is in fact the world’s largest sea turtle. The bony fishes were represented by ten species, the largest of which was the Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola), which is the largest bony fish in the world. The cartilaginous fishes included ten species with the largest specimens encountered were the Shortfin Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), Bluntnose Sixgill Shark (Hexanchus griseus), Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini), and Giant Devil Ray (Mobula mobular). Seabirds were not included in the study. The Alexandria Pompano (Alectis alexandrinus) and the Silver-Cheeked Toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus), which are bony fishes, appear to be the relatively smallest marine organisms recorded here. In conclusion, the role of the various parties must be coordinated to ensure the sustainability of human activities and their compatibility with the task of conserving local marine biota, including the gigantic or relatively large ones.

Structure and Function of the Gastrointestinal Tract of the Green Turtle(Chelonia mydas) Hatchling

The gastrointestinal tracts of four Chelonia mydas hatchlings were examined at the anatomical, histological and ultrastructural level. Our results show that the gastrointestinal tract（GI） is composed by esophagus, stomach, small intestine（SI） and large intestine（LI）, and histologically of mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa（ME） and serosa. The esophagus is marked by conical papillae lined by keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, whereas the remaining GI by simple columnar epithelium; esophageal diverticulum is absent. The stomach covered with mucous granule cells, contains cardia, fundic regions and pylorus, which are separately characterized by cardiac glands, fundic glands and pyloric glands, and have the thickest submucosa and ME of the GI. The ME of the esophagus mainly consist of one layer of circular smooth muscle whereas the rest of GI of two layers, inner circular muscle and outer longitudinal muscle. The SI is slightly longer than the LI and the GI is approximately 5.11 times of the carapace length. The SI is lined with longitudinal zigzag folds and characterized by absorptive cells with longer and denser microvilli, whereas the LI by transversal folds, goblet cells and lymphoid nodules. Only intestinal glands appear in duodenum. Endocrine cells are observed in all sections of the GI and accounted for the largest proportion in duodenum. The results demonstrate a perfect combination of the structure and function of the GI and reveal that the digestion and absorption primarily occurs in the foregut. C. mydas hatchling may prefer carnivorous diet.

New Record of Black Turtle Chelonia mydas agassizii in High Latitudes of Eastern South Pacific Ocean

A juvenile specimen of the black turtle, Chelonia mydas agassizii, was located in the shores of Cabo Tamar Island in the western entrance of the Strait of Magellan, Chile. A king crab angler found the specimen, and donated it to the Río Seco Natural History Museum’s vertebrate collection for further studies and exhibition. Morphological measurements and a genetic analysis derived from an mtDNA fragment amplified and sequenced, suggest that this specimen corresponds to the species Chelonia mydas agassiizii and that it is closely related to the Galapagos Islands black turtle population. Possible influences of the El Ni？o Southern Oscillation phenomenon on this tropical species in the Eastern South Pacific Ocean are briefly discussed.

Nesting Biology and Site Selection of Olive Ridley—A Coherence of Nature

Nesting behaviour of sea turtles remains a subject to study, due to their enigmatic pattern of seasonal breeding activities. In the present study, characteristics of the breeding turtle, Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) at Ramnagar along N-E coast of North Andaman Islands were investigated, for the nesting periods 2016-2017. Olive Ridley is the dominant sea turtles, with more than 300 individuals nesting every season with at least a 75% hatching success rate. It is one of the conducive, highly protective and undisturbed nesting sites for Olive Ridley on North Andaman coast. In the present study an initiative is made, to identify nature’s cues and the biological characteristics of Olive Ridley, which leads it to nest at Ramnagar beach, with a high hatchling success rate.

The Probable Cause for Nesting Pattern of Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) at Ramnagar Beach, North East Coast of Andaman Island, India

The nesting behaviour of sea turtles remains a subject to study, due to their enigmatic pattern of seasonal breeding activities. Over a period of time, several reports have been made in this context associated with the nesting behaviour of the Olive Ridley turtles. In the present study, characteristics of the breeding beach and nesting pattern of Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) at Ramnagar along N-E coast of Andaman Islands were investigated, during the nesting periods 2016-2017. The study area hosts Olive Ridley, the dominant sea turtles with more than 300 individuals nesting each year. For this study, the number of sea turtles visited, nested, the sediment characters, salinity, and temperature were taken. The exposed sandy nesting beach characteristics are prone to varying degrees of morphological changes every day. The results depict that even though similar grain size (Coarse Sand to Fine Sand and Very well sorted to Poorly Sorted), with an ambient incubating temperature, pH and salinity with wide nesting area, the selective nesting in the particular location of the beach identified because of comfortable energy conditions in the waters (1.5 m/s) favours the female turtles to reach the beach at the preferable site of Ramnagar and nest.

Influence of incubation temperature on sea turtle hatchling quality

Since the 1980s it has been known that incubation temperature influences the sex ratio of sea turtle hatchlings emerging from their nests,and there has been much speculation on how global climate change might threaten sea turtle populations by raising nest temperatures and causing highly female-biased hatchling sex ratios.More recently,studies have indicated that incubation temperature can also influence the size and locomotor performance of sea turtle hatchlings.Here I review recent studies that have explored the influence of incubation temperature on sea turtle hatchling quality in terms of hatchling morphology and locomotor performance.I also discuss the likely underlying mechanisms responsible for incubation temperature-induced differences in hatchling locomotor performance,and how an increase in nest temperature associated with global warming might affect recruitment of sea turtle hatchlings.

Perceptions of fishers to sea turtle bycatch,illegal capture and consumption in the San Ignacio-Navachiste-Macapule lagoon complex,Gulf of California,Mexico

In this study, 10% of all registered fishermen in the coastal towns of Navachiste in Sinaloa, in northwestern Mexico, answered a survey designed to collect data on their perceptions of the following topics: the impact of turtle meat consumption;human health;bycatch;illegal turtle fishing;the illegal sea turtle market;the lo-cal economy;pollution;environmental education;the success of protective legislation;and sea turtle-based ec-otourism. Perceptions were analyzed using the fuzzy logic method through classification into 5 fuzzy member-ship sets: VL, very low;L, low;M, moderate;H, high;VH, very high. The 9 topics generated decision areas upon applying fuzzy inference that revealed the membership level of the answers in each fuzzy set. The eco-nomic potential of sea turtle-based ecotourism and the economic profitability of the illegal turtle meat market were perceived as VL. Conservation legislation was perceived as H, although inefficiently applied due to cor-ruption. Ecotourism and impacts on sea turtles were perceived as VL, because they were deemed unprofitable activities at the individual and community levels. Environmental education was perceived as L, because it cen-ters on nesting, hatching and releasing turtles and is directed at elementary and middle-school students. While fishers perceive a serious negative impact of fishing activities on sea turtles in the San Ignacio-Navachiste- Macapule area, they do not see themselves individually as part of the problem. Achieving sea turtle conserva-tion in this region requires: suitable ecotourism infrastructure, government investments in promotion, and stud-ies to estimate the minimum number of tourists needed to assure profitability.