Clinical and Pathological Findings in Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Gladstone, Queensland: Investigations of a Stranding Epidemic

Flint, Mark; Eden, Paul; Limpus, Colin J.; Owen, Helen; Gaus, Caroline; Mills, Paul C.

doi:10.1007/s10393-014-0972-5

Cited by 42 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…127! were emaciated during the flood event (Flint et al, 2014). The measured protein content fell well within the range of previously reported values (Table S2) .…”

Section: Section S1 Theoretical Considerations Of K Pdms-bloodsupporting

confidence: 89%

Toxicity pathway-oriented screening of mixtures of organic pollutants in marine wildlife

Liu¹

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The role of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in marine wildlife health is an issue of continuous interest worldwide. Dugongs and marine turtles, two iconic species contributing to the unique diversity of the Australian coastal environment, are both experiencing multiple threats of natural and anthropogenic origins. These animals typically feed in coastal areas where release of POPs occurs from urban, agricultural and industrial activities. Given the high fat content of dugongs and a long life span for both species, these animals can accumulate relatively high amounts of POPs.While certain POP groups (such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans, PCDD/Fs and polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs) in these animals can be present at elevated levels where adverse effects may occur, dugongs and turtles are in reality exposed to an even broader spectrum of chemicals, and the combined effect of such complex, unresolved mixtures remains largely unknown. In light of these limitations, this thesis aimed to deliver a methodological framework to link chemical exposure to mixture effects for typical biological sample types. More specifically, the goal was to validate and apply polymer-based passive sampling strategies suitable for dosing into in vitro bioassays with endpoints of relevance to both chemical exposure and wildlife health. Lipid-rich tissue (blubber) of dugongs and blood of green turtles were used for the method development but the methods should be readily transferable to other species.A simple passive sampling technique using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer was validated for quantitative extraction of an entire range of neutral organic chemicals from lipid-rich tissue or blood based on equilibrium partitioning between PDMS and major sorptive phases therein (e.g., (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides showed that identified chemicals contributed to the majority of the AhR-mediated activity and less than 0.4% of Nrf2-mediated response.

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“…127! were emaciated during the flood event (Flint et al, 2014). The measured protein content fell well within the range of previously reported values (Table S2) .…”

Section: Section S1 Theoretical Considerations Of K Pdms-bloodsupporting

confidence: 89%

Toxicity pathway-oriented screening of mixtures of organic pollutants in marine wildlife

Liu¹

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“…Their high affinity for coastal habitats, reliance on both marine and terrestrial environments, and long life span make them ideal candidates to act as sentinel species (Aguirre and Lutz, 2004). The occurrence and prevalence of diseases in sea turtles in many cases is likely to be linked to the health of marine habitats (Aguirre and Lutz, 2004;Flint et al, 2015b;Harvell et al, 1999;Jacobson et al, 2006;Ward and Lafferty, 2004).…”

Section: Figure 52mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other indirect threatening processes include degradation of feeding and nesting habitats and water quality decline associated with industry and agriculture. A recent assessment of turtle health in the Gladstone (central Queensland) region, in response to a spike in strandings, concluded that the general poor population health observed was likely attributable to a combination of extreme weather (flooding) and previously existing environmental stressors (Flint et al, 2015b).…”

Section: Anthropomorphic Threatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gordon et al (1998) turtles subjected to a complete necropsy showed multi-organ spirorchiid infection, with associated pathology being significant enough to contribute to death in 9 of these (Flint et al, 2015b). …”

Section: Central/southern Queensland and Moreton Baymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In many cases, other pathogens and stressors co-occur with parasitic diseases (e.g. toxic algal blooms, heavy metal accumulation, other environmental stressors) making the specific symptoms difficult to delineate (Flint et al, 2015b;Jacobson et al, 2006).…”

Section: Development Of Techniques For Sea Turtle Parasite Investigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Diversity, impacts and diagnosis of pathogenic parasites in sea turtles from Queensland, Australia

Chapman¹

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Parasitism is a significant cause of stranding and mortality in endangered sea turtles. Two parasites in particular (or groups thereof) have been noted for their impacts on green sea turtle populations. The first are the spirorchiid blood flukes, which inhabit the circulatory systems of their host. The second is the eimeriid coccidian Caryospora cheloniae, a systemic parasite affecting a number of organs. Diversity among these organisms is poorly explored, and is almost certainly greater than currently recognised. The parasites and their associated diseases fluctuate both temporally and spatially in terms of prevalence and severity, however, the factors driving these fluctuations are poorly understood. A variety of questions remain unanswered in terms of the epidemiology and relative pathogenicity of the different parasite species. Of particular interest are brain lesions, which have been associated with both parasites and in some cases lead to neurological deficiency and subsequent mortality. Difficulties in finding answers to these questions is compounded by a lack of reliable, fast and quantitative ante-and post-mortem diagnostic tools for either parasite, which restricts their investigation.In order to catalogue local species and assess diversity, adult spirorchiid flukes were collected during post-mortem examination of deceased sea turtles and characterised by molecular and morphological means. Eleven distinct species or genotypes were identified, comprising a mix of previously described and novel species or variants. Samples were also collected from green sea turtles that died during a coccidiosis related mass mortality event in south east Queensland and northern New South Wales. While only one species of coccidian (C. cheloniae) had been previously described, molecular characterisation of the organism implicated in the outbreak revealed two distinct coccidian genotypes, which has significant implications for diagnosis and management.Spirorchiid ova have been associated with granulomatous lesions in a wide range of host tissues. However, it has not been possible to identify spirorchiids beyond the genus level based on morphology, which has frustrated any attempts to identify the species or variants responsible for severe lesions. In this thesis, a molecular approach was used and a terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) assay was developed to detect and identify individual species within the often mixed assemblages of ova in turtle tissues. This assay proved to be a more specific and sensitive alternative to traditional iii microscopic detection methods. Through correlation with histopathology and gross pathology, the tissue tropisms, relative occurrence and pathogenicity of each species were investigated. The most common species (Neospirorchis Genotype 2) was found in 96% of samples, encompassing tissues from all organs sampled. On average, a greater number of spirorchiid species were detected in tissues where lesions were present, and numbers increased along with the severity o...

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Hematology of Testudines

Steinberg¹,

Divers²

2022

Schalm's Veterinary Hematology

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Clinical and Pathological Findings in Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Gladstone, Queensland: Investigations of a Stranding Epidemic

Cited by 42 publications

References 19 publications

Toxicity pathway-oriented screening of mixtures of organic pollutants in marine wildlife

Toxicity pathway-oriented screening of mixtures of organic pollutants in marine wildlife

Diversity, impacts and diagnosis of pathogenic parasites in sea turtles from Queensland, Australia

Hematology of Testudines

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