Occurrence and pattern of legacy and emerging per- and Poly-FluoroAlkyl substances (PFAS) in eggs of loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta from western Mediterranean.

Per-and Poly-FluoroAlkyl Substances (PFAS) are a class of persistent, toxic, and mobile and chemicals both from industrial sources and from the use and disposal of Consumers products containing PFAS, whose concentration in marine food webs could pose a toxicological risk for biota and humans. In 2021, unhatched eggs were sampled from 41 loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta nests from the Italian shores of the Campania Region (Southern Italy). Whole eggs were analysed for the presence of 66 legacy and emerging PFAS with Liquid Chromatography coupled to Hybrid High Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

Increase of nesting habitat suitability for green turtles in a warming Mediterranean Sea.

Climate change is reshaping global ecosystems at an unprecedented rate, with major impacts on biodiversity. Therefore, understanding how organisms can withstand change is key to identify priority conservation objectives. Marine ectotherms are being extremely impacted because their biology and phenology are directly related to temperature.

Electroretinography, Ocular Ultrasonography, and Phacoemulsification of Bilateral Cataracts in Two Juvenile Loggerhead Sea Turtles () of the Mediterranean Region.

Bilateral cataracts were diagnosed in two rescued juvenile, immature loggerhead sea turtles (), weighing 1.65 and 1.7 kg.

Trace Elements and Persistent Organic Pollutants in Unhatched Loggerhead Turtle Eggs from an Emerging Nesting Site along the Southwestern Coasts of Italy, Western Mediterranean Sea.

Marine pollution is one of the major threats affecting loggerhead turtles, which due to their long life span, highly migratory behavior, and carnivorous diet, may be exposed to elevated levels of toxic elements throughout their life. The transfer of chemicals from mothers to their offspring is of particular conservation concern because it may affect embryonic development and hatching success. In this study, the concentrations of 16 toxic and potentially toxic trace elements, 6 indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticide residues (OCPs) were determined in 138 eggs from 46 loggerhead turtle nests laid during the 2021 nesting season in Campania, Italy, western Mediterranean Sea.

Dietary Preferences of Loggerhead Sea Turtles () in Two Mediterranean Feeding Grounds: Does Prey Selection Change with Habitat Use throughout Their Life Cycle?

According to their life stage, the loggerhead sea turtle () is found in a wide range of habitats, from neritic to more oceanic areas. Their feeding habits are expected to change as they develop, along with habitat use. Juvenile sea turtles are hypothesized to feed on pelagic species in oceanic areas, shifting to more benthic prey during the subadult and adult stages.

Symblepharon, Ankyloblepharon, and Salt Gland Dysfunction in a Loggerhead Sea Turtle ().

Adhesions involving the bulbar and the palpebral conjunctiva (Symblepharon) may interfere with tear drainage, cause chronic conjunctivitis, and reduce ocular motility. This condition may be associated with adhesion of the edges of the upper and lower eyelids (ankyloblepharon). The present case describes bilateral symblepharon, ankyloblepharon and salt gland dysfunction in a juvenile .

Unveiling the egg microbiota of the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta in nesting beaches of the Mediterranean Sea.

Microbes have central roles in the development and health of animals, being the introduction of specific microbial species a potential conservation strategy to protect animals from emerging diseases. Thus, insight into the microbiota of the species and their habitats is essential. In this manuscript, we report for the first time the bacterial composition of all the components (eggshells of hatched and unhatched eggs, internal content of unhatched eggs, intestinal content of hatchling and pipping sea turtles, and sand) of three nesting beaches of Caretta caretta along the Italian coasts of the Mediterranean Sea.

Phthalate esters (PAEs) concentration pattern reflects dietary habitats (δC) in blood of Mediterranean loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta).

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are classified as endocrine disruptors, but it remains unclear if they can enter the marine food-web and result in severe health effects for organisms. Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) can be chronically exposed to PAEs by ingesting plastic debris, but no information is available about PAEs levels in blood, and how these concentrations are related to diet during different life stages. This paper investigated, for the first time, six PAEs in blood of 18 wild-caught Mediterranean loggerhead turtles throughout solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography-ion trap/mass spectrometry.

Polymer composition assessment suggests prevalence of single-use plastics among items ingested by loggerhead sea turtles in the western mediterranean sub-region.

The ingestion of plastic is becoming a major concern for various species and particularly for marine turtles across the globe. The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) was recently chosen by the European Commission as a bio-indicator for plastic pollution within the Mediterranean basin. We further investigated which items this key species is more prone to ingest, following the standardised Marine Strategy Framework Directive protocols.

COMPARISON OF INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE MEASUREMENT USING REBOUND AND APPLANATION TONOMETRY IN LOGGERHEAD () SEA TURTLES.

This study aimed to evaluate intraocular pressure (IOP) estimates in healthy eyes of using rebound tonometry in comparison with applanation tonometry. Twenty-three healthy (housed at the Marine Turtle Research Center) without preexisting ophthalmic disease were enrolled in the study. IOP measurements were obtained by the same ophthalmologist, with the turtle in ventral recumbency between 2:30 p.

Movement patterns of large juvenile loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean Sea: Ontogenetic space use in a small ocean basin.

Mechanisms that determine how, where, and when ontogenetic habitat shifts occur are mostly unknown in wild populations. Differences in size and environmental characteristics of ontogenetic habitats can lead to differences in movement patterns, behavior, habitat use, and spatial distributions across individuals of the same species. Knowledge of juvenile loggerhead turtles' dispersal, movements, and habitat use is largely unknown, especially in the Mediterranean Sea.

Humerus osteology, myology, and finite element structure analysis of Cheloniidae.

Adaptation of osteology and myology lead to the formation of hydrofoil foreflippers in Cheloniidae (all recent sea turtles except Dermochelys coriacea) which are used mainly for underwater flight. Recent research shows the biomechanical advantages of a complex system of agonistic and antagonistic tension chords that reduce bending stress in bones. Finite element structure analysis (FESA) of a cheloniid humerus is used to provide a better understanding of morphology and microanatomy and to link these with the main flipper function, underwater flight.

Gastrointestinal investigation of parasites and Enterobacteriaceae in loggerhead sea turtles from Italian coasts.

Background: Caretta caretta is the most abundant sea turtle species in the Mediterranean, and studies on this species have vastly expanded during recent years, including those investigating gut bacterial and parasitic communities. Members of these communities have been reported with variable prevalence and pathogenicity, mainly depending on their host and environment (e.g.

Loggerhead sea turtles as sentinels in the western Mediterranean: antibiotic resistance and environment-related modifications of Gram-negative bacteria.

Sea turtles possess relevant characteristics to serve as sentinel species for monitoring the health of marine ecosystems, which is currently threatened. This study examined 35 loggerhead turtles from the western Mediterranean, focusing on the oral and cloacal prevalence of aerobic Gram-negative bacteria, their antibiotic resistance and the influence of several variables linked both to the animal and the environment (i.e.

Parallel pattern of differentiation at a genomic island shared between clinal and mosaic hybrid zones in a complex of cryptic seahorse lineages.

Diverging semi-isolated lineages either meet in narrow clinal hybrid zones, or have a mosaic distribution associated with environmental variation. Intrinsic reproductive isolation is often emphasized in the former and local adaptation in the latter, although both reduce gene flow between groups. Rarely are these two patterns of spatial distribution reported in the same study system.

Aeromonas induced polyostotic osteomyelitis in a juvenile loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta.

Bacterial bone infections have been occasionally reported in wild sea turtles. This study reports on a sub-adult Caretta caretta affected by Aeromonas hydrophila osteomyelitis, with extensive involvement of cranial and caudal flippers. The turtle was severely debilitated, had limited flipper mobility and showed signs of pain in reaction to manipulation.

Author Correction: Sporadic nesting reveals long distance colonisation in the philopatric loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta).

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.

Sporadic nesting reveals long distance colonisation in the philopatric loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta).

The colonisation of new suitable habitats is crucial for species survival at evolutionary scale under changing environmental conditions. However, colonisation potential may be limited by philopatry that facilitates exploiting successful habitats across generations. We examine the mechanisms of long distance dispersal of the philopatric loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) by analysing 40 sporadic nesting events in the western Mediterranean.

Seasonal heterogeneity of ocean warming: a mortality sink for ectotherm colonizers.

Distribution shifts are a common adaptive response of marine ectotherms to climate change but the pace of redistribution depends on species-specific traits that may promote or hamper expansion to northern habitats. Here we show that recently, the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) has begun to nest steadily beyond the northern edge of the species' range in the Mediterranean basin. This range expansion is associated with a significant warming of spring and summer sea surface temperature (SST) that offers a wider thermal window suitable for nesting.

Detection and partial characterization of herpesviruses from Egyptian tortoises (Testudo kleinmanni) imported into Italy from Libya.

A group of approximately 370 Egyptian tortoises (Testudo kleinmanni) and 36 spur-thighed tortoises (Testudo graeca) were illegally imported into Italy from Libya. Within 6 mo of their entry into Italy, all but 40 of the Egyptian tortoises had died with signs of severe stomatitis. Herpesviruses were detected from the tongues of seven Egyptian tortoises by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virus isolation.

Allometric scaling of lung volume and its consequences for marine turtle diving performance.

Marine turtle lungs have multiple functions including respiration, oxygen storage and buoyancy regulation, so lung size is an important indicator of dive performance. We determined maximum lung volumes (V(L)) for 30 individuals from three species (Caretta caretta n=13; Eretmochelys imbricata n=12; Natator depressus n=5) across a range of body masses (M(b)): 0.9 to 46 kg.

First records of dive durations for a hibernating sea turtle.

The first published record, from the early 1970s, of hibernation in sea turtles is based on the reports of the indigenous Indians and fishermen from Mexico, who hunted dormant green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Gulf of California. However, there were no successful attempts to investigate the biology of this particular behaviour further. Hence, data such as the exact duration and energetic requirements of dormant winter submergences are lacking.