Abstract
The northwest Atlantic leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) population is exhibiting decreasing trends along numerous nesting beaches. Since population health and viability are inherently linked, it is important to establish species- and life-stage class-specific blood analyte reference intervals (RIs) so that effects of future disturbances on organismal health can be better understood. For hatchling leatherbacks, the objectives of this study were to (1) establish RIs for morphometrics and blood analytes; (2) evaluate correlations between hatchling morphometrics, blood analytes, and hatching success; and (3) determine temporal trends in hatchling morphometrics and blood analytes across nesting season. Blood samples were collected from 176 naturally emerging leatherback hatchlings from 18 clutches. Reference intervals were established for morphometrics and blood analytes. Negative relationships were noted between hatchling mass and packed cell volume, total white blood cells, heterophils, lymphocytes, and total protein and between body condition index (BCI) and immature red blood cells (RBC), RBC polychromasia and anisocytosis, and total protein. Clutch deposition date showed positive relationships with lymphocytes and total protein, and negative relationships with hatchling mass and BCI. Hatching success was positively correlated with mass, and negatively with total protein and glucose, suggesting that nutritional provisions in eggs, incubation time, and/or metabolic rates could change later in the season and affect survivorship. These various observed correlations provide evidence for increased physiological stress (e.g., inflammation, subclinical dehydration) in hatchlings emerging later in nesting season, presumably due to increased nest temperatures or other environmental factors (e.g., moisture/rainfall). Data reported herein provide morphometric and blood analyte data for leatherback hatchlings and will allow for future investigations into spatiotemporal trends and responses to various stressors.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The datasets collected and analyzed during this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
References
Aguirre AA, Lutz PL (2004) Marine turtles as sentinels of ecosystem health: is fibropapillomatosis an indicator? EcoHealth 1(3):275–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-004-0097-3
Alava JJ, Keller JM, Kucklick JR, Wyneken J, Crowder L, Scott GI (2006) Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) egg yolk concentrations of persistent organic pollutants and lipid increase during the last stage of embryonic development. Sci Total Environ 367:170–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.02.029
Andrews RM (2018) Developmental plasticity in reptiles: insights into thermal and maternal effects on chameleon phenotypes. J Exp Zool A 329(6–7):298–307. https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.2160
Bjorndal KA, Bolten AB, Chaloupka MY (2000) Green turtle somatic growth model: evidence for density dependence. Ecol Appl 10(1):269–282. https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(2000)010[0269:GTSGME]2.0.CO;2
Booth DT (2006) Influence of incubation temperature on hatchling phenotype in reptiles. Physiol Biochem Zool 79(2):274–281. https://doi.org/10.1086/499988
Booth DT (2017) Influence of incubation temperature on sea turtle hatchling quality. Integr Zool 12(5):352–360. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12255
Booth DT, Astill K (2001) Incubation temperature, energy expenditure and hatchling size in the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), a species with temperature-sensitive sex determination. Aust J Zool 49(4):389–396. https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO01006
Booth DT, Burgess E, McCosker J, Lanyon JM (2004) The influence of incubation temperature on post-hatching fitness characteristics of turtles. Int Congr Ser 1275:226–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ics.2004.08.057
Brooks RJ, Hughes EJ (2006) The good mother: does nest-site selection constitute parental investment in turtles? Can J Zool 84(11):1545–1554. https://doi.org/10.1139/z06-148
Caliendo V, McKinney P, Robinson D, Baverstock W, Hyland K (2020) Plasma biochemistry and hematology values in juvenile hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) undergoing rehabilitation. J Herpetol Med Surg 20(4):117–121. https://doi.org/10.5818/1529-9651-20.4.117
Davenport J, Plot V, Georges JY, Doyle TK, James MC (2011) Pleated turtle escapes the box—shape changes in Dermochelys coriacea. J Exp Biol 214:3474–3479. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.057182
Deeem SL, Harris HS (2017) Sea turtle health assessments. In: Manire C, Norton T, Stacy B, Innis C, Harms C (eds) Sea turtle health and rehabilitation. J Ross Publishing, Plantation, pp 945–957
Deem SL, Karesh WB, Weisman W (2001) Putting theory into practice: wildlife health in conservation. Conserv Biol 15(5):1224–1233. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2001.00336.x
Deem SL, Dierenfeld ES, Sounguet GP, Alleman AR, Cray C, Poppenga RH, Norton TM, Karesh WB (2006) Blood values in free-ranging nesting leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) on the coast of the Republic of Gabon. J Zoo Wildl Med 37(4):464–471. https://doi.org/10.1638/05-102.1
Eckert KL, Wallace BP, Frazier JG, Eckert SA, Pritchard PCH (2012) Synopsis of the biological data on the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Technical Publication BTP-R4015–2012, Washington, DC. https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/document/id/1519/
Fleming KA, Perrault JR, Stacy NI, Coppenrath CM, Gainsbury AM (2020) Heat, health and hatchlings: associations of in situ nest temperatures with morphological and physiological characteristics of loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings from Florida. Conserv Physiol 8(1):coaa046. https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaa046
Friedrichs KR, Harr KE, Freeman KP, Szladovits B, Walton RM, Barnhart KF, Blanco-Chavez J (2012) ASVCP reference interval guidelines: determination of de novo reference intervals in veterinary species and other related topics. Vet Clin Pathol 419(4):441–453. https://doi.org/10.1111/vcp.12006
Gatto CR, Matthews B, Reina RD (2021) Role of incubation environment in determining thermal tolerance of sea turtle hatchlings. Endanger Species Res 44:397–408. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01111
Geffré A, Friedrichs K, Harr K, Concordet D, Trumel C, Braun J-P (2009) Reference values: a review. Vet Clin Pathol 38(3):288–298. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-165X.2009.00179.x
Glen F, Broderick A, Godley BJ, Hays G (2003) Incubation environment affects phenotype of naturally incubated green turtle hatchlings. J Mar Biol Assoc UK 83(5):1183–1186. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315403008464h
Gräsbeck R (1983) Reference value philosophy. Bull Mol Biol Med 8:1–11
Gräsbeck R (1990) Reference values, why and how. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 50:45–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/00365519009085800
Gräsbeck R, Saris NE (1969) Establishment and use of normal values. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 26(Suppl 110):62–63
Guirlet E, Das K, Thomè J-P, Girondot M (2010) Maternal transfer of chlorinated contaminants in the leatherback turtles, Dermochelys coriacea, nesting in French Guiana. Chemosphere 79:720–726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.02.047
Hamann M, Jessop TS, Schäuble CS (2007) Fuel use and corticosterone dynamics in hatchling green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) during natal dispersal. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 353(1):13–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2007.08.017
Harms CA, McClellan-Green P, Godfrey MH, Christiansen EF, Broadhurst HJ, Godard-Codding CAJ (2019) Crude oil and dispersant cause acute clinicopathological abnormalities in hatchling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Front Vet Sci 6:344. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2019.00344
Harris HS, Benson SR, Gilardi KV, Poppenga RH, Work TM, Dutton PH, Mazet JAK (2011) Comparative health assessment of western pacific leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) foraging off the coast of California, 2005–2007. J Wildl Dis 47(2):321–337. https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-47.2.321
Harvey JW (2012) Veterinary hematology: a diagnostic guide and color atlas, 1st edn. Saunders, St. Louis, p 136
Hewavisenthi S, Parmenter CJ (2002) Incubation environment and nest success of the flatback turtle (Natator depressus) from a natural nesting beach. Copeia 2002(2):302–312. https://doi.org/10.1643/0045-8511(2002)002[0302:IEANSO]2.0.CO;2
Honarvar S, Brodsky MC, Fitzgerald DB, Rosenthal KL, Hearn GW (2011) Changes in plasma chemistry and reproductive output of nesting leatherbacks. Herpetologica 67(3):222–235. https://doi.org/10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-10-00061.1
Innis C, Merigo C, Dodge K, Tlusty M, Dodge M, Sharp B, Myers A, McIntosh A, Wunn D, Perkins C, Herdt TH, Norton T, Lutcavage M (2010) Health evaluation of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the northwestern Atlantic during direct capture and fisheries gear disentanglement. Chelonian Conserv Biol 9(2):205–222. https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-0838.1
Janzen FJ, Tucker JK, Paukstis GL (2000) Experimental analysis of an early life-history stage: avian predation selects for larger body size of hatchling turtles. J Evol Biol 13(6):947–954. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1420-9101.2000.00234.x
Jensen MP, Allen CD, Eguchi T, Bell IP, LaCasella EL, Hilton WA, Hof CAM, Dutton PH (2018) Environmental warming and feminization of one of the largest sea turtle populations in the world. Curr Biol 28(1):154–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.11.057
Kobayashi S, Aokura N, Fujimoto R, Mori K, Kumazawa Y, Ando Y, Matsuda T, Nitto H, Arai K, Watanabe G, Saito T (2018) Incubation and water temperatures influence the performances of loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings during the dispersal phase. Sci Rep 8:11911. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30347-3
Kunze PE, Perrault JR, Chang YM, Manire CA, Clark S, Stacy NI (2020) Pre-/analytical factors affecting whole blood and plasma glucose concentrations in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). PLoS ONE 15(3):e0229800. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229800
Ligon DB, Bidwell JR, Lovern MB (2009) Incubation temperature effects on hatchling growth and metabolic rate in the African spurred tortoise Geochelone Sulcata. Can J Zool 87(1):64–72. https://doi.org/10.1139/Z08-138
Lutcavage M, Lutz PL (1986) Metabolic rate and food energy requirements of the leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea. Copeia 1986(3):796–798. https://doi.org/10.2307/1444962
Lutcavage ME, Bushnell PG, Jones DR (1991) Oxygen stores and aerobic metabolism in the leatherback sea turtle. Can J Zool 70(2):348–351. https://doi.org/10.1139/z92-051
March DT, Ariel E, Munns S, Rudd D, Blyde D, Christidis L, Kelaher BP (2019) Physiological changes in post-hatchling green turtles (Chelonia mydas) following short-term fasting: implications for release protocols. Conserv Physiol 7(1):coz016. https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coz016
Maulany R, Booth D, Baxter G (2012) The effect of incubation temperature on hatchling quality in the olive ridley turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea, from Alas Purwo National Park, East Java, Indonesia: implications for hatchery management. Mar Biol 159(12):2651–2661. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-012-2022-6
Mickelson LE, Downie JR (2010) Influence of incubation temperature on morphology and locomotion performance of leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) hatchlings. Can J Zool 88(4):359–368. https://doi.org/10.1139/Z10-007
Miller J (1997) Reproduction in sea turtles. In: Lutz P, Musick J (eds) The biology of sea turtles, vol I. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 51–82
Miller DL, Wyneken J, Rajeev S, Perrault J, Mader DR, Weege J, Baldwin CA (2009) Pathologic findings in hatchling and posthatchling leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) from Florida. J Wildl Dis 45(4):962–971. https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-45.4.962
Montero N, Tomillo PS, Saba VS, de Marcovaldi MAG, López-Mendilaharsu M, Santos AS, Fuentes MMPB (2019) Effects of local climate on loggerhead hatchling production in Brazil: implications from climate change. Sci Rep 9:8861. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-45366-x
NALWG (2019) Dermochelys coriacea (Northwest Atlantic Ocean subpopulation). IUCN Red List Threat Species. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T46967827A83327767.en
National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science Center (NMFS SEFSC) (2008) Sea turtle research techniques manual. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-579. https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/3626
Northwest Atlantic Leatherback Working Group (NALWG) (2018) Northwest Atlantic leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) status assessment. In Wallace B, Eckert K (eds), Conservation Science Partners and the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST). WIDECAST Technical Report No. 16, Godfrey, Illinois, USA. http://www.csp-inc.org/public/16-NWA-leatherback-status-report-FINAL.pdf
Page-Karjian A, Chabot R, Stacy NI, Morgan AS, Valverde RA, Stewart S, Coppenrath CM, Manire CA, Herbst LH, Gregory CR, Ritchie BW, Perrault JR (2020) Comprehensive health assessment of green turtles Chelonia mydas nesting in southeastern Florida, USA. Endanger Species Res 42:21–35. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01036
Paladino FV, O’Connor MP, Spotila JR (1990) Metabolism of leatherback turtles, gigantothermy, and thermoregulation of dinosaurs. Nature 344(6269):858–860. https://doi.org/10.1038/344858a0
Pankaew K, Milton SL (2018) The effects of extended crawling on the physiology and swim performance of loggerhead and green sea turtle hatchlings. J Exp Biol 221(1):165225. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.165225
Pereira CM, Booth DT, Bradley AJ, Limpus CJ (2013) Blood concentrations of lactate, glucose and corticosterone in dispersing hatchling sea turtles. Biol Open 2(1):63–67. https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.20123046
Perrault JR, Miller DL, Eads E, Johnson C, Merrill A, Thompson LJ, Wyneken J (2012) Maternal health status correlates with nest success of leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) from Florida. PLoS ONE 7(2):e31841. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0031841
Perrault JR, Wyneken J, Page-Karjian A, Merrill A, Miller DL (2014) Seasonal trends in nesting leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) serum proteins further verify capital breeding hypothesis. Conserv Physiol 2(1):cou002. https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/cou002
Perrault JR, Page-Karjian A, Miller DL (2016) Nesting leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) packed cell volumes indicate decreased foraging during reproduction. Mar Biol 163:232. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-016-3007-7
Perrault JR, Bresette MJ, Mott CR, Stacy NI (2018) Comparison of whole blood and plasma glucose concentrations in green turtles (Chelonia mydas) determined using a glucometer and a dry chemistry analyzer. J Wildl Dis 54(1):196–199. https://doi.org/10.1177/10406387211001830
Perrault JR, Arendt MD, Schwenter JA, Byrd JL, Harms CA, Cray C, Tuxbury KA, Wood LD, Stacy NI (2020) Blood analytes of immature Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) from Georgia, USA: reference intervals and body size correlations. Conserv Physiol 8(1):coaa091. https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaa091
Perrault JR, Arendt MD, Schwenter JA, Byrd JL, Tuxbury KA, Stacy NI (2021) Comparison of two glucose analytical methodologies in immature Kemp’s ridley sea turtles: dry chemistry of plasma versus point-of-care glucometer analysis. J Vet Diagn Invest 33(3):595–599. https://doi.org/10.1177/10406387211001830
Perrault JR, Lasala JA, Manire CA, Coppenrath CM, Page-Karjian A, Blew A, Stacy NI (2022) Non-pigmented versus pigmented: health variables and genetics of albino Florida green turtle (Chelonia mydas) hatchlings compared to normally pigmented hatchlings from the same clutch. J Wildl Dis. https://doi.org/10.7589/JWD-D-21-00031
Pike D, Roznik EA, Bell I (2015) Nest inundation from sea-level rise threatens sea turtle population viability. R Soc Open Sci 2(7):150127. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150127
Pinto F, Buzin A, Neto E, Ferreira G, Castheloge V, Ferreira P, Endringer D, Andrade T, Lenz D (2015) A hematologic and biochemical profile on 3-month-old hatchlings of Lepidochelys olivacea. Comp Clin Path 24(6):1333–1337. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-015-2075-2
Rafferty AR, Santidrián Tomillo P, Spotila JR, Paladino FV, Reina RD (2011) Embryonic death is linked to maternal identity in the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). PLoS ONE 6(6):e21038. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021038
Reed AH, Henry RJ, Mason WB (1971) Influence of statistical method used on the resulting estimate or normal range. Clin Chem 17(4):275–284. https://doi.org/10.1093/clinchem/17.4.275
Reina RD, Jones TT, Spotila JR (2002) Salt and water regulation by the leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea. J Exp Biol 205(13):1853–1860. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.205.13.1853
Reneker JL, Kamel SJ (2016) The maternal legacy: female identity predicts offspring sex ratio in the loggerhead sea turtle. Sci Rep 6:29237. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep29237
Rivas ML, Esteban N, Marco A (2019) Potential male leatherback hatchlings exhibit higher fitness which might balance sea turtle sex ratios in the face of climate change. Clim Change 156:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-019-02462-1
Salmon M, Scholl J (2014) Allometric growth in juvenile marine turtles: possible role as an antipredator adaptation. Zoology 117(2):131–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.zool.2013.11.004
Salmon M, Jones TT, Horch KW (2004) Ontogeny of diving and feeding behavior in juvenile seaturtles: leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea L) and green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas L) in the Florida current. J Herpetol 38(1):36–43. https://doi.org/10.1670/228-01A
Salmon M, Higgins B, Stewart J, Wyneken J (2015) The ontogeny of morphological defenses in Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles. J Morphol 276(8):929–940. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.20390
Sarmiento-Ramírez JM, van der Voort M, Raaijmakers JM, Diéguez-Uribeondo J (2014) Unravelling the microbiome of eggs of the endangered sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata identifies bacteria with activity against the emerging pathogen Fusarium falciforme. PLoS ONE 9(4):e95206. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0095206
Sim EL, Booth DT, Limpus CJ (2015) Incubation temperature, morphology and performance in loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtle hatchlings from Mon Repos, Queensland. Aust Biol Open 4(6):685–692. https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.20148995
Stacy NI, Innis C (2017) Clinical pathology. In: Manire C, Norton T, Stacy B, Innis C, Harms C (eds) Sea turtle health and rehabilitation. J Ross Publishing, Plantation, pp 147–207
Stacy NI, Alleman AR, Sayler KA (2011) Diagnostic hematology of reptiles. Clin Lab Med 31(1):87–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cll.2010.10.006
Stacy NI, Field CL, Staggs L, MacLean RA, Stacy BA, Keene J, Cacela D, Pelton C, Cray C, Kelley M, Holmes S, Innis CJ (2017) Clinicopathological findings in sea turtles assessed during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response. Endanger Species Res 33:25–37. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00769
Stacy NI, Bjorndal KA, Perrault JR, Martins HR, Bolten AB (2018) Blood analytes of oceanic-juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from Azorean waters: reference intervals, size-relevant correlations and comparisons to neritic loggerheards from western Atlantic coastal waters. Conserv Physiol 6(1):coy006. https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coy006
Stacy NI, Chabot RM, Innis CJ, Cray C, Fraser KM, Rigano KS, Perrault JR (2019) Plasma chemistry in nesting leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) from Florida: understanding the importance of sample hemolysis effects on blood analytes. PLoS ONE 14(9):e0222426. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222426
Stewart K, Johnson C (2006) Dermochelys coriacea—leatherback sea turtle. In: Biology and conservation of Florida turtles, Meylan PA, editor. Chelonian Res Monogr 3:144–157.
Steyermark AC, Spotila JR (2001) Effects of maternal identity and incubation temperature on snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) growth. Funct Ecol 15(5):624–632. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0269-8463.2001.00564.x
Stokes L, Wyneken J, Crowder LB, Marsh J (2006) The influence of temporal and spatial origin on size and early growth rates in captive loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the United States. Herpetol Conserv Biol 1:71–80
Tezak B, Bentley B, Arena M, Mueller S, Snyder T, Sifuentes-Romero I (2020) Incubation environment and parental identity affect sea turtle development and hatchling phenotype. Oecologia 192:939–951. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-020-04643-7
Tucker AD, Frazer NB (1994) Seasonal variation in clutch size of the turtle Dermochelys Coriacea. J Herpetol 28(1):102–109
Turtle Expert Working Group (TEWG) (2007) An assessment of the leatherback turtle population in the Atlantic ocean. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-555
Van Damme R, Bauwens D, Braña F, Verheyen RF (1992) Incubation temperature differentially affects hatching time, egg survival, and hatchling performance in the lizard Podarcis muralis. Herpetologica 48(2):220–228
Wallace BP, Sotherland PR, Tomillo PS, Bouchard SS, Reina RD, Spotila JR, Paladino FV (2006) Egg components, egg size, and hatchling size in leatherback turtles. Comp Biochem Physiol A 145(4):524–532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2006.08.040
Wallace BP, Tiwari M, Girondot M (2013) Dermochelys coriacea. IUCN Red List Threat Species. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T6494A43526147.en
Walton RM (2001) Establishing reference intervals: health as a relative concept. Semin Avian Exotic Pet Med 10(2):66–71. https://doi.org/10.1053/S1055-937X(01)80026-8
Weiss D (1984) Uniform evaluation and semi-quantitative reporting of hematologic data in veterinary laboratories. Vet Clin Pathol 13(2):27–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-165X.1984.tb00836.x
Wells R, Baldwin J (1994) Oxygen transport in marine green turtle (Chelonia mydas) hatchlings: blood viscosity and control of hemoglobin oxygen-affinity. J Exp Biol 188(1):103–114. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.188.1.103
Wyneken J (2001) The anatomy of sea turtles. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-470
Zieger U, Trelease H, Winkler N, Mathew V, Sharma RN (2009) Bacterial contamination of leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) eggs and sand in nesting chambers at Levera Beach, Grenada, West Indies—a preliminary study. West Indian Vet J 9(2):21–26
Acknowledgements
We thank the staff of Loggerhead Marinelife Center for assistance with sample collection and Meghan Koperski for assistance with permits.
Funding
This project was funded by a Florida Save Our Seas Specialty License Plate Grant.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
JRP, AP-K, and NIS designed the experiment. JRP, ANM, and NIS collected and/or analyzed samples. JRP, AP-K, LKB, and NIS wrote the initial draft of this manuscript. All authors contributed to editing the final version of this manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflicts of interest
JRP, AP-K, ASM, LKB, and NIS declare no conflicts of interest. All authors approved the final version of this manuscript.
Ethics approval
Our study was carried out in accordance with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Permit #205.
Additional information
Communicated by H.V. Carey.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Perrault, J.R., Page-Karjian, A., Morgan, A.N. et al. Morphometrics and blood analytes of leatherback sea turtle hatchlings (Dermochelys coriacea) from Florida: reference intervals, temporal trends with clutch deposition date, and body size correlations. J Comp Physiol B 192, 313–324 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-021-01422-5
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-021-01422-5