Ameliorating transport-related stress in endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (<i>Lepidochelys kempii</i>) with a recovery period in saltwater pools

Hunt, Kathleen E.; Innis, Charles J.; Merigo, Constance; Burgess, Elizabeth A.; Norton, Terry M.; Davis, Deborah; Kennedy, Adam; Buck, C. Loren

doi:10.1093/conphys/coy065

Cited by 13 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…In prior studies, we confirmed that Kemp’s ridley turtles do experience an adrenal stress response during ground transports of 13 and 26 h duration, with pronounced and significant elevations in plasma corticosterone, plasma glucose, WBC, and H/L ratio immediately post-transport when compared with pre-transport ( Hunt et al. 2016a , 2019 ). Controlled experiments clarified that these changes are primarily due to transportation, with only minor effects attributable to handling, food restriction, or time of day ( Hunt et al.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 81%

“…Therefore, every spring, numerous sea turtles are transported south along the eastern seaboard of the USA in order to release them at beaches with appropriate water temperatures ( Hunt et al. 2016a , 2019 ; NOAA 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Transport durations may range from <6 h (to local New England beaches) to >24 h (to Florida beaches), depending on calendar month, local water conditions at potential release sites, and other logistical constraints ( Hunt et al. 2016a , 2019 ). It is therefore of interest to determine the degree of physiological stress that sea turtles might experience during transport events of various durations, as well as to evaluate possible effects of species differences, so as to identify optimal methodology for transporting sea turtles by ground.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ground transport invariably exposes animals to numerous novel stimuli including confinement in a small and unfamiliar container, noise, vibration, unpredictable acceleration, lack of food, and, for sea turtles, removal from the aquatic environment ( Grandin 2007 ; Hunt et al. 2016a , 2019 ). In vertebrates, such stimuli typically elicit a classic physiological stress response characterized by a marked increase in adrenal catecholamines within seconds of initial disturbance, followed by a more gradual and prolonged elevation in adrenal glucocorticoids (corticosterone in turtles) ( Gregory et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Ground Transport in Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Turtles

Hunt

Merigo

Burgess

et al. 2020

Integrative Organismal Biology

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Synopsis Many juvenile Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles strand during fall on the beaches of Cape Cod (MA, USA), with total stranding numbers sometimes exceeding 300 turtles per year. Once rehabilitated, turtles must be released at beaches with appropriate water temperatures, often requiring transportation to southeastern coastal states of the USA. These transportation events (transports) may approach or exceed 24 h in duration. Kemp’s ridley turtles are known to exhibit an adrenal stress response during such transports, but the effect of transport duration has been unclear, and no other sea turtle species has been investigated. To assess whether transport duration and/or species affects physiological reactions to transport, we studied pre- and post-transport physiological measures in Kemp’s ridley and loggerhead turtles transported by ground for <6, ∼12, ∼18, or ∼24 h, comparing with matched “control events” in which turtles were studied without transport. Blood samples were analyzed for four stress-associated measures (corticosterone, glucose, total white blood cell [WBC] count, and heterophil/lymphocyte ratio [H/L]) and nine measures of clinical status (pH, pO2, pCO2, HCO3, sodium, potassium, ionized calcium, lactate, and hematocrit). In both species, stress-associated measures elevated significantly during transport, while handling without transport had no significant effects. Loggerheads exhibited a greater stress response than Kemp’s ridleys across all transport durations. These results indicate that sea turtles do react physiologically to ground transport; therefore, minimizing transport time and streamlining transport logistics (where feasible) may help ensure release of rehabilitated turtles to sea in the best possible condition. Nonetheless, both species remained in good clinical condition even after 24 h transport, indicating that current transport protocols are generally safe for sea turtles from a clinical perspective.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Ground Transport in Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Turtles

Hunt

Merigo

Burgess

et al. 2020

Integrative Organismal Biology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…stress, water temperature differences, etc.) ( Stabenau et al , 1991 ; Moon et al , 1999 ; Anderson et al , 2011 ; Innis et al , 2007 , 2008 , 2009 ; Coleman et al , 2016 ; Hunt et al , 2016 , 2019 ). Therefore, extrapolation to wild populations should be done with appropriate caution ( Bolten and Bjorndal, 1992 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blood analytes of immature Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) from Georgia, USA: reference intervals and body size correlations

Perrault¹,

Arendt

Schwenter

et al. 2020

Conservation Physiology

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Health assessments of wildlife species are becoming increasingly important in an ever-changing environment. Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii; hereafter, Kemp’s ridleys) are critically endangered and incur several on-going threats to their population recovery; therefore, it is imperative to advance the understanding of baseline blood analyte data as a diagnostic and monitoring tool. For in-water, trawl-captured, immature Kemp’s ridleys (minimum N = 31) from Georgia, USA, the objectives of this study were to (1) establish reference intervals (RIs) for packed cell volume (PCV) and 27 plasma biochemistry analytes and (2) determine length-specific relationships in blood analytes. We observed significant positive correlations between minimum straight carapace length and PCV, amylase, calcium:phosphorus ratio, cholesterol, magnesium, triglycerides, total solids, total protein and all protein fractions (e.g. alpha-, beta- and gamma-globulins); aspartate aminotransferase and chloride showed significant negative relationships. These results suggest that certain blood analytes in Kemp’s ridleys change as these animals grow, presumptively due to somatic growth and dietary shifts. The information presented herein, in due consideration of capture technique that may have impacted glucose and potassium concentrations, represents the first report of blood analyte RIs for Kemp’s ridley sea turtles established by guidelines of the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology and will have direct applications for stranded individuals in rehabilitative care and for future investigations into the health status of wild individuals from this population.

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Blood oxygen stores of olive ridley sea turtles, Lepidochelys olivacea are highly variable among individuals during arribada nesting

et al. 2020

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Sea turtles are mostly pelagic, air-breathing divers that can become neritic during nesting season. Sea turtles dive with a full lung of air and these O2 stores are supplemented by O 2 stored in blood. Olive ridley sea turtles exhibit polymorphic nesting behavior; mass nesting behavior called arribada, where up to 25,000 turtles will nest at once, and solitary nesting behavior. As mostly pelagic and highly migratory species, we hypothesize that newly arrived turtles, nesting in arribadas, will exhibit increased blood oxygen stores as compared to solitary nesting towards the end of the season, where turtles have likely become neritic. We measured blood volume and associated variables to estimate total blood O2 stores including hematocrit and blood hemoglobin content. There were no significant differences in mean values between nesting periods, but arribada nesting individuals were more variable than those performing solitary nesting. Mass specific plasma volume was relatively invariant among individuals but mass specific blood volume and blood oxygen stores varied widely, 2-fold and 3-fold, respectively. Blood O2 stores represented 32% of total body O2 stores. Under typical mean diving conditions of 26°C and high levels of activity, blood stores confer ~14 min to aerobic dive times and are likely critical for the long duration, deep diving exhibited by the species. Individual differences in blood O2 stores strongly impact estimated aerobic dive limits and may constrain the ability of individuals to respond to changes on ocean climate.

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Ameliorating transport-related stress in endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) with a recovery period in saltwater pools

Cited by 13 publications

References 42 publications

Effects of Ground Transport in Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Turtles

Effects of Ground Transport in Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Turtles

Blood analytes of immature Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) from Georgia, USA: reference intervals and body size correlations

Blood oxygen stores of olive ridley sea turtles, Lepidochelys olivacea are highly variable among individuals during arribada nesting

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