Comparative plasma biochemistry analyte data in nesting leatherback (), foraging green () and foraging and nesting hawksbill () sea turtles in Grenada, West Indies.

Blood biochemistry represents a minimally invasive tool for monitoring sea turtle health, assessing injured sea turtles and supporting conservation strategies. In Grenada, West Indies, plasma biochemical variables were examined in 33 nesting leatherback (), 49 foraging green (), 49 foraging hawksbill () and 12 nesting hawksbill sea turtles sampled between 2017 and 2022. Plasma biochemistry reference intervals are described herein except for nesting hawksbills, which are represented by descriptive statistics due to the low sample size.

Environmental and Nesting Variables Associated with Atlantic Leatherback Sea Turtle () Embryonic and Hatching Success Rates in Grenada, West Indies.

Annual monitoring of leatherback sea turtle () nesting grounds in Grenada, West Indies has identified relatively low hatch rates compared to worldwide trends. This study investigated the impact of selected environmental variables on leatherback sea turtle embryonic development and hatching success rates on Levera Beach in Grenada between 2015-2019. The mean number of nests per year and eggs per nest were 667.

Chelonid Alphaherpesvirus 5 Prevalence and First Confirmed Case of Sea Turtle Fibropapillomatosis in Grenada, West Indies.

Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) is strongly associated with fibropapillomatosis, a neoplastic disease of sea turtles that can result in debilitation and mortality. The objectives of this study were to examine green (), hawksbill (), and leatherback () sea turtles in Grenada, West Indies, for fibropapillomatosis and to utilize ChHV5-specific PCR, degenerate herpesvirus PCR, and serology to non-invasively evaluate the prevalence of ChHV5 infection and exposure. One-hundred and sixty-seven turtles examined from 2017 to 2019 demonstrated no external fibropapilloma-like lesions and no amplification of ChHV5 DNA from whole blood or skin biopsies.