Stacy Nicole I, Smith Rachel, Sullivan Kathleen E, Nelson Steven E, Nolan Elizabeth C, De Voe Ryan S, Witherington Blair E, Perrault Justin R
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 2015 SW 16TH AVE, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
Disney's Animals, Science and Environment, 1200 N Savannah Circle, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USA.
Conserv Physiol. 2024 Sep 20;12(1):coae064. doi: 10.1093/conphys/coae064. eCollection 2024.
Reproduction is a physiologically demanding process for sea turtles. Health indicators, including morphometric indices and blood analytes, provide insight into overall health, physiology and organ function for breeding sea turtles as a way to assess population-level effects. The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (ACNWR) on Florida's central eastern coast is critical nesting habitat for loggerhead sea turtles (), but health variables from this location have not been documented. Objectives of the study were to (1) assess morphometrics and blood analyte data (including haematology, plasma biochemistry, protein electrophoresis, β-hydroxybutyrate, trace nutrients, vitamins and fatty acid profiles) from loggerheads nesting on or near the beaches of the ACNWR, (2) investigate correlations of body condition index (BCI) with blood analytes and (3) analyse temporal trends in morphometric and blood analyte data throughout the nesting season. Morphometric and/or blood analyte data are reported for 57 nesting loggerheads encountered between 2016 and 2019. Plasma copper and iron positively correlated with BCI. Mass tended to decline across nesting season, whereas BCI did not. Many blood analytes significantly increased or decreased across nesting season, reflecting the catabolic state and haemodynamic variations of nesting turtles. Twenty-three of 34 fatty acids declined across nesting season, which demonstrates the physiological demands of nesting turtles for vitellogenesis and reproductive activities, thus suggesting potential utility of fatty acids for the assessment of foraging status and phases of reproduction. The findings herein are relevant for future spatiotemporal and interspecies comparisons, investigating stressor effects and understanding the physiological demands in nesting sea turtles. This information provides comparative data for individual animals in rescue or managed care settings and for assessment of conservation strategies.
繁殖对海龟来说是一个生理需求很高的过程。健康指标，包括形态测量指标和血液分析物，有助于深入了解繁殖期海龟的整体健康状况、生理机能和器官功能，以此评估种群水平上的影响。位于佛罗里达州中东部海岸的阿奇·卡尔国家野生动物保护区（ACNWR）是蠵龟重要的筑巢栖息地，但该地区的健康变量尚未有记录。本研究的目的是：（1）评估在ACNWR海滩上或附近筑巢的蠵龟的形态测量数据和血液分析物数据（包括血液学、血浆生物化学、蛋白质电泳、β-羟基丁酸、微量营养素、维生素和脂肪酸谱）；（2）研究身体状况指数（BCI）与血液分析物之间的相关性；（3）分析整个筑巢季节形态测量数据和血液分析物数据的时间趋势。报告了2016年至2019年间遇到的57只筑巢蠵龟的形态测量和/或血液分析物数据。血浆铜和铁与BCI呈正相关。体重在筑巢季节往往会下降，而BCI则不会。许多血液分析物在筑巢季节显著增加或减少，反映了筑巢海龟的分解代谢状态和血液动力学变化。筑巢季节中34种脂肪酸中的23种有所下降，这表明筑巢海龟在卵黄生成和繁殖活动方面的生理需求，因此表明脂肪酸在评估觅食状况和繁殖阶段方面具有潜在用途。本文的研究结果与未来的时空和种间比较、调查应激源影响以及了解筑巢海龟的生理需求相关。这些信息为处于救援或管理护理环境中的个体动物提供了比较数据，并有助于评估保护策略。
