Dataset Information

Blood biochemistry and haematology of migrating loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Northwest Atlantic: reference intervals and intra-population comparisons.

ABSTRACT: We documented blood biochemistry and haematology of healthy loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Northwest (NW) Atlantic in order to establish clinical reference intervals (RIs) for this threatened population. Blood samples were analysed from migratory loggerheads captured off the Mid-Atlantic coast of the USA in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016 as part of a long-term research program. Blood variables were determined using a point-of-care analyser, and a veterinary diagnostic laboratory service. We calculated 95% RIs with associated 90% confidence intervals (CIs) for each blood variable. We compared results obtained from our study of migratory loggerheads with published data for similarly sized loggerheads resident at a seasonal temperate latitude foraging area. Significant differences in several blood variables between migratory and resident turtles provided insight on energetic and health status during different behavioural states. Temperature was significantly correlated with several blood variables: lactate, pCO2, sodium, haemoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase. Our assessment of blood chemistry in healthy loggerhead turtles in the NW Atlantic provides a baseline for clinical comparisons with turtles impacted by anthropogenic and environmental threats, and highlights the importance of identifying unique aspects of biochemical and haematological profiles for sea turtles at the intra-population level.

SUBMITTER: Yang T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6366141 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Blood biochemistry and haematology of migrating loggerhead turtles (<i>Caretta caretta</i>) in the Northwest Atlantic: reference intervals and intra-population comparisons.

Yang Tiffany T Haas Heather L HL Patel Samir S Smolowitz Ronald R James Michael C MC Williard Amanda S AS

Conservation physiology 20190207 1

We documented blood biochemistry and haematology of healthy loggerhead turtles (<i>Caretta caretta</i>) in the Northwest (NW) Atlantic in order to establish clinical reference intervals (RIs) for this threatened population. Blood samples were analysed from migratory loggerheads captured off the Mid-Atlantic coast of the USA in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016 as part of a long-term research program. Blood variables were determined using a point-of-care analyser, and a veterinary diagnostic laboratory s ...[more]

PMID: 30746149

Similar Datasets

Project description:Blood analyte reference intervals are scarce for immature life stages of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). The objectives of this study were to (1) document reference intervals of packed cell volume (PCV) and 20 plasma chemistry analytes from wild oceanic-juvenile stage loggerhead turtles from Azorean waters, (2) investigate correlations with body size (minimum straight carapace length: SCLmin) and (3) compare plasma chemistry data to those from older, larger neritic juveniles (<80 cm SCLmin) and adult loggerheads (?80 cm SCLmin) that have recruited to the West Atlantic in waters around Cape Canaveral, Florida. Twenty-eight Azorean loggerhead turtles with SCLmin of 17.6-60.0 cm (mean 34.9 ± 12.1 cm) were captured, sampled and immediately released. Reference intervals are reported. There were several biologically relevant correlations of blood analytes with SCLmin: positive correlations of PCV, proteins and triglycerides with SCLmin indicated somatic growth, increasing diving activity and/or diet; negative correlations of tissue enzymes with SCLmin suggested faster growth at smaller turtle size, while negative correlations of electrolytes with SCLmin indicated differences in diet, environmental conditions and/or osmoregulation unique to the geographic location. Comparisons of loggerhead turtles from the Azores (i.e. oceanic) and Cape Canaveral (i.e. neritic) identified significant differences regarding diet, somatic growth, and/or environment: in Azorean turtles, albumin, triglycerides and bilirubin increased with SCLmin, while alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase and sodium decreased. In larger neritic Cape Canaveral turtles, aspartate aminotransferase increased with SCLmin, while the albumin:globulin ratio, phosphorus and cholesterol decreased. These differences suggest unique physiological disparities between life stage development and migration, reflecting biological and habitat differences between the two populations. This information presents biologically important data that is applicable to stranded individual turtles and to the population level, a tool for the development of conservation strategies, and a baseline for future temporal and spatial investigations of the Azorean loggerhead sea turtle population.

Project description:The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is found throughout the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. It is a protected species throughout much of its range due to threats such as habitat loss, fisheries interactions, hatchling predation, and marine debris. Loggerheads that occur in the southeastern U.S. are listed as "threatened" on the U.S. Endangered Species List, and receive state and federal protection. As part of an on-going population assessment conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service, samples were collected from juvenile loggerhead sea turtles in Core Sound, North Carolina, between 2004 and 2007 to gain insight on the baseline health of the threatened Northwest Atlantic Ocean population. The aims of the current study were to establish hematologic and biochemical reference intervals for this population, and to assess variation of the hematologic and plasma biochemical analytes by season, water temperature, and sex and size of the turtles. Reference intervals for the clinical pathology parameters were estimated following Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Season, water temperature, sex, and size of the turtles were found to be significant factors of variation for parameter values. Seasonal variation could be attributed to physiological effects of decreasing photoperiod, cooler water temperature, and migration during the fall months. Packed cell volume, total protein, and albumin increased with increasing size of the turtles. The size-related differences in analytes documented in the present study are consistent with other reports of variation in clinical pathology parameters by size and age in sea turtles. As a component of a health assessment of juvenile loggerhead sea turtles in North Carolina, this study will serve as a baseline aiding in evaluation of trends for this population and as a diagnostic tool for assessing the health and prognosis for loggerhead sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation.

Dataset Information

Blood biochemistry and haematology of migrating loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Northwest Atlantic: reference intervals and intra-population comparisons.

Publications

Blood biochemistry and haematology of migrating loggerhead turtles (<i>Caretta caretta</i>) in the Northwest Atlantic: reference intervals and intra-population comparisons.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets