scholarly journals Incubation temperatures, hatching success and congenital anomalies in green turtle nests from Guanahacabibes Peninsula, Cuba

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 321-330
Author(s):  
Randy Calderón Peña ◽  
Julia Azanza Ricardo

Elevated incubation temperatures of sea turtle nests decrease hatching success and alter the resulting hatchlings' morphology. There is an absence of studies assessing the relationships between temperature and hatching success in Cuba, even when they could improve understanding the limits of thermal tolerance in these species. This study evaluated the influence of incubation temperature on hatching success and phenotypic malformations in green turtle hatchlings (Chelonia mydas); and analyzed the temporal variation in hatching success on the studied beaches. In 48 green turtles nests distributed along two beaches, incubation temperature and hatching success were recorded between 2014 and 2019. Increasing incubation temperature caused a decrease in the hatching success and an increase in the frequency of supernumerary scutes. Despite the elevated temperatures (average > 30°C), hatching was higher than 80%. Significant differences in hatching success were only observed among seasons for nests in Antonio Beach (lower values in 2016 and 2019 compared to 2014).

2020 ◽  
Vol 653 ◽  
pp. 181-190
Author(s):  
DT Booth ◽  
A Dunstan ◽  
I Bell ◽  
R Reina ◽  
J Tedeschi

Because the sex of all sea turtle hatchlings is determined by incubation temperature, with low temperatures producing mainly males and high temperatures producing mainly females, sea turtle populations worldwide are threatened by feminization of hatchlings due to increases in global temperature. Data obtained by laparoscopic sexing of immature individuals captured from a major feeding ground indicates that over several decades there has been little recruitment of males into the northern Great Barrier Reef (nGBR) green turtle Chelonia mydas population, one of the largest sea turtle populations in the world. Over 2 nesting seasons, we measured nest temperatures at Raine Island, the most important nesting site for this nGBR population, and predicted that almost all nests would have produced all female hatchlings. The few nests that produced some male hatchlings were constructed at the very end of the nesting season, and these nests had the lowest hatching success. Taking into account monthly variations in nest construction, hatching success, and hatchling sex ratio, we estimate that over an entire nesting season only 0.7% of hatchlings produced are male. Hence, we conclude that the nGBR population of green turtles has likely recruited very few males in recent years.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 245-256
Author(s):  
Cemil Aymak ◽  
Aşkın Hasan Uçar ◽  
Yusuf Katılmış ◽  
Eyup Başkale ◽  
Serap Ergene

In this study invertebrate infestation in green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nests were recorded for the first time for Kazanlı beach, Mersin, Turkey. For this aim, in 2006 nesting season, 294 natural intact green turtle nests were sampled to examine their contents and invertebrate infestation was found in 76 (25.85% of the total sampling green turtle nests). These infested nests were examined in terms of the invertebrate faunal composition. The specimens found in the green sea turtle nests were identified to order, family or genus levels and they were represented in 5 orders. These invertebrate groups are Elater sp. larvae (Elateridae; Coleoptera), Pimelia sp. larvae (Tenebrionidae; Coleoptera), Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta), Cyrptostigmata (Acari), Oniscidae (Isopoda), Formicidae (Hymenoptera). Elater sp. was the most common invertebrate group in the green turtle nests. According to student t test, we found statistically significant differences between 7 independent variables and invertebrate species presence. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis explained that there is a negative relationship between hatching success rate and invertebrate species presence.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 93
Author(s):  
Adriani Sri Nastiti Krismono ◽  
Achmad Fitriyanto ◽  
Ngurah Nyoman Wiadnyana

Penyu hijau (Chelonia mydas) termasuk dalam phylum Chordata dan famili Cheloniideae. Jumlah penyu hijau yang singgah ke Pantai Pangumbahan untuk bertelur semakin menurun karena tidak terkendalinya masyarakat melakukan penangkapan induk penyu dan pengambilan telurnya. Penelitian tentang morfologi, reproduksi, dan perilaku penyu hijau sebagai salah satu dasar pengelolaan telah dilakukan di Pantai Pangumbahan pada bulan Agustus 2008. Metode penelitian yang digunakan pengambilan contoh berstrata. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan pada bulan Agustus 2008 (pada saat puncak peneluran). Parameter yang diamati antara lain ukuran penyu dari 89 ekor jumlah penyu bersarang, jumlah telur dan tingkat penetasan, serta perilaku pada saat penyu bertelur. Hasil penelitian menunjukan yang diamati diperoleh panjang karapas berkisar antara 97-15 cm dan lebar karapas 83,5-108 cm, jumlah penyu naik ke pantai 89 ekor dan penyu yang bertelur 39 ekor. Jumlah telur penyu hijau berhasil dihitung 80-105 butir per induk penyu. Bulan Agustus 2008 merupakan puncak musim peneluran. Kegiatan peneluran penyu hijau dibagi menjadi enam tahap. Upaya konservasi yang sudah dilakukan adalah penetasan telur penyu semi alami, restocking tukik, dan menjaga keamanan sarang telur penyu. Green turtles (Chelonia mydas), including the phylum Chordata and families Cheloniideae. The number of green turtles come to lay eggs Pangumbahan beach to decline because of increasingly unmanageable public do making arrests turtles brood stock and their eggs. Research on the morphology, reproduction, and behavior of green turtles as one of the basic management has been conducted on the Pangumbahan Beach in August 2008. The method used stratified sampling. The experiment was conducted in August 2008 (at the peak of nesting). Other parameters were observed between the size of the 89 tail number of turtles nesting turtles, the number of eggs and hatching rate and behavior during turtle nesting. Results obtained showed that the observed length ranges from 97- 15 cm carapace and carapace width from 83.5-108 cm, the number went up to the beach 89 sea turtle and sea turtle nesting tail as much as 39 tails. The number of green turtle eggs had counted as many as 80-105 eggs per turtles brood stock. Month August 2008 is the peak nesting season of green turtle nesting activities are divided into six stages. Conservation efforts that have been done is semi natural turtle hatchery, restocking hatchlings, and nest of turtle eggs to maintain security.


Oryx ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike I. Olendo ◽  
Gladys M. Okemwa ◽  
Cosmas N. Munga ◽  
Lilian K. Mulupi ◽  
Lily D. Mwasi ◽  
...  

AbstractMonitoring of nesting beaches is often the only feasible and low-cost approach for assessing sea turtle populations. We investigated spatio-temporal patterns of sea turtle nesting activity monitored over 17 successive years in the Lamu archipelago, Kenya. Community-based patrols were conducted on 26 stretches of beach clustered in five major locations. A total of 2,021 nests were recorded: 1,971 (97.5%) green turtleChelonia mydasnests, 31 (1.5%) hawksbillEretmochelys imbricatanests, 8 (0.4%) olive ridleyLepidochelys olivaceanests and 11 (0.5%) unidentified nests. Nesting occurred year-round, increasing during March–July, when 74% of nests were recorded. A stable trend in mean annual nesting densities was observed in all locations. Mean clutch sizes were 117.7 ± SE 1 eggs (range 20–189) for green turtles, 103±SE 6 eggs (range 37–150) for hawksbill turtles, and 103±SE 6 eggs (range 80–133) for olive ridley turtles. Curved carapace length for green turtles was 65–125 cm, and mean annual incubation duration was 55.5±SE 0.05 days. The mean incubation duration for green turtle nests differed significantly between months and seasons but not locations. The hatching success (pooled data) was 81.3% (n = 1,841) and was higher for in situ nests (81.0±SE 1.5%) compared to relocated nests (77.8±SE 1.4%). The results highlight the important contribution of community-based monitoring in Kenya to sustaining the sea turtle populations of the Western Indian Ocean region.


Behaviour ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 122 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 56-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Lucas ◽  
Michael Salmon ◽  
Elizabeth Fritz ◽  
Jeanette Wyneken

AbstractUpon emerging from underground nests, sea turtle hatchlings immediately crawl toward the ocean. The primary cues used in orientation are visual but the nature of the visual cues was a matter of speculation. Hatchlings might also respond to secondary cues, such as beach slope. Experiments were carried out in an arena where specific visual and slope cues, simulating those present at nest sites, could be precisely controlled and manipulated. Subjects were green turtle (Chelonia mydas L.) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta L.) hatchlings. Both species oriented toward the more intensely illuminated sections of the arena. They also oriented away from dark silhouettes which simulated an elevated horizon, typical of the view toward land. Turtles responded primarily to stimuli (both silhouettes and photic differences) at or near eye level. When presented simultaneously with a silhouette and a photic gradient located in different directions, hatchlings oriented away from the silhouette and ignored photic stimuli. Under infrared light, both species oriented down slopes. However in the presence of nocturnal levels of visible light loggerheads ignored slope cues and responses of green turtles to slope were weakened. The data suggest that loggerhead and green turtle hatchlings usually find the sea by orienting away from elevated silhouettes. This is a prominent and reliable cue for species which typically nest on continental beaches.


1992 ◽  
Vol 171 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
KENNETH J. LOHMANN ◽  
CATHERINE M. FITTINGHOFF LOHMANN

Minutes after emerging from underground nests, hatchling green turtles (Chelonia mydas L.) enter the sea and begin a migration towards the open ocean. To test the hypothesis that migrating hatchlings use wave cues to maintain their seaward headings, we released turtles offshore during unusual weather conditions when waves moved in atypical directions. Hatchlings swam into approaching waves in all experiments, even when doing so resulted in orientation back towards land. These data suggest that green turtle hatchlings normally maintain seaward headings early in the offshore migration by using wave propagation direction as an orientation cue. Because waves and swells reliably move towards shore in shallow coastal areas, swimming into waves usually results in movement towards the open sea. The physiological mechanisms that underlie wave detection by sea turtle hatchlings are not known. Calculations indicate that, at the depth at which hatchlings swim, accelerations produced beneath typical waves and swells along the Florida coast are sufficient to be detected by the vertebrate inner ear. We therefore hypothesize that hatchlings determine wave direction while under water by monitoring the sequence of horizontal and vertical accelerations that occur as waves pass above.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan E. Hanna ◽  
Erin M. Chandler ◽  
Brice X. Semmens ◽  
Tomoharu Eguchi ◽  
Garrett E. Lemons ◽  
...  

East Pacific (EP) green turtles (Chelonia mydas) have undergone substantial population recovery over the last two decades owing to holistic protection at nesting beaches and foraging areas. At the northern end of their range in southern California United States, green turtles have been seen in more areas and in greater numbers since 2014 than before as a result. A resident population of green turtles has established near La Jolla Shores (LJS), a protected site with daily marine tourism (e.g., kayakers, snorkelers, divers). To study this local aggregation, innovative and non-invasive methods were required because the traditional capture-recapture methods were infeasible due to public relations sensitivities. Green turtle habituation to humans at this site has created a unique opportunity for citizen-based science using underwater photography to document turtles and their surroundings. We obtained 309 usable photographs of local green turtles from members of the dive/snorkel community in LJS. Photos were taken from April 2016 to June 2019. Images were processed in Hotspotter—a patterned species instance recognition software—to identify seven individuals, five of which were consistently photographed throughout that period. These images helped infer minimum residency duration (MRD), seasonal differences in algal coverage on the carapace, habitat association, behavioral patterns, and diet. Mean MRD was 424 days (SE = 131 days, calculated from entire population, n = 7), during which turtles were active in 82.8% of the photographs; the remainder of the photographs depicted foraging (14.9%) or resting behavior (2.3%). Green turtles were seen foraging in water temperatures as low as 15.8°C, the lowest recorded temperature for foraging green turtles documented in literature. Additional opportunistic observational platforms were used to look at trends of increasing green turtle abundance in southern California since 2015 that supported the arrival of a new aggregation of green turtles in LJS. Our use of citizen-sourced photographs confirms the presence of a resident aggregation of green turtles in LJS. Existence of green turtles and other protected species in highly populated areas provide excellent opportunities to educate beachgoers and seafarers about conservation of these species. This study also highlights the value of citizen-based science in areas where traditional research techniques are ill-suited.


2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 359-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. E. Mickelson ◽  
J. R. Downie

The journey of Leatherback ( Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761)) hatchlings from nest to the sea is a vulnerable life-history stage. Studies have shown that nest incubation temperatures influence hatchling morphology and locomotor performance, which may affect hatchling fitness. We obtained incubation temperature profiles from 16 Leatherback nests in Tobago, West Indies, during the 2008 nesting season (March–June). There was significant variation among mean nest incubation temperatures, which had a significant influence on hatchling morphology. Using principal components analysis, we determined the morphological traits that explained the most variation among hatchlings, which allowed investigation of the relationship between hatchling morphology and terrestrial locomotion speed. Hatchlings with a narrower carapace width and longer flipper reach (produced at lower incubation temperatures) had significantly faster terrestrial speed and total run time than those with opposite characteristics (produced at higher incubation temperatures). Our results demonstrate that lower incubation temperatures produce hatchlings with traits that are significantly advantageous to terrestrial locomotion. These findings suggest that nest incubation temperature is important in determining hatchling fitness, as nest incubation temperature significantly influences hatchling morphology and locomotor capabilities. This study supplements related findings in Green Turtles ( Chelonia mydas (L., 1758)), but also illustrates some unique features in Leatherbacks.


Genome ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fátima Yedith Camacho-Sánchez ◽  
A. Alonso Aguirre ◽  
Jose Alberto Narvaez-Zapata ◽  
Alan A. Zavala-Norzagaray ◽  
Cesar P Ley-Quiñónez ◽  
...  

Technological and analytical advances to study evolutionary biology, ecology, and conservation of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are realized through molecular approaches including DNA barcoding. We characterized the usefulness of COI DNA barcodes in green turtles in Mexico to better understand genetic divergence and other genetic parameters of this species. We analyzed 63 sequences, 25 from green turtle field specimens collected from the Gulf of Mexico and from the Mexican Pacific, and 38 already present in the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD). A total of 13 haplotypes were identified with 4 novel haplotypes from the Pacific Ocean and 3 novel haplotypes from the Atlantic Ocean. Intraspecific distance values among COI gene sequences by two different models were 0.01, demonstrating that there is not a subdivision for green turtle species. Otherwise, the interspecific distance interval ranged from 0.07 to 0.13 supporting a clear subdivision among all sea turtle species. Haplotype and total nucleotide diversity values of the COI gene reflect a medium genetic diversity average. Green turtles of the Mexican Pacific showed common haplotypes to some Australian and Chinese turtles, but different from the haplotypes of the Mexican Atlantic. COI analysis revealed new haplotypes and confirmed that DNA barcodes were useful for evaluation of the population diversity of green turtles in Mexico.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 195
Author(s):  
Abang Aldhian R. Putera ◽  
Laksmi Sulmartiwi ◽  
Wahju Tjahjaningsih

Abstract Indonesia is an archipelago that is rich in diversity of flora and fauna. One of these is a wealth of fauna species of sea turtles. All species of sea turtles in the world by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) put in Appendix I as endangered and protected and not allowed to be traded. The purpose of this study was to determine effect the ratio of the depth from nest egg incubation and hatching percentage of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) nests at different depths in Sukamade, Betiri Meru National Park, Banyuwangi, East Java. The design of the study is a randomized block design (RGD). The groups as replicates for RGD, between groups or experimental material media are considered uniform. The results showed that the average incubation period was 58.87 +0.39 days, then the results were followed by Duncan's multiple range test, which showed that the highest yield obtained by the depth of 50 cm wasn’t significantly different (p> 0.05) with depth of 30 cm and 70 cm. While the results obtained at the lowest depth of 90 cm was significantly different (p <0.05) with the other depth (30 cm, 50 cm and 70 cm). While the percentage of hatching success obtained in average hatching was 88.12 + 0.38%. The Duncan's multiple range test analysis, showed that at a depth of 70 cm were not significantly different (p <0.05) from depth of 50 cm, but 70 and 50 cm depth was significantly different (p> 0.05) from another depth. Whereas the lowest hatching results obtained on depth of 90 cm are significantly different (p> 0.05) from the other depth (30 cm, 50 cm and 70 cm). The conclusion of this study was different depth of green turtle nests affect the egg incubation period and the percentage of egg hatching success of green turtles.


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