Plasma Biochemistry Profiles Of Juvenile Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) From The Bahamas With A Potential Influence Of Diet

Putillo, Alexa R.; Flint, Mark; Seminoff, Jeffrey A.; Spencer, Robert G. M.; Fuentes, Mariana M. P. B.

doi:10.7589/jwd-d-20-00009

i

Plasma Biochemistry Profiles Of Juvenile Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) From The Bahamas With A Potential Influence Of Diet

2020
By Putillo, Alexa R. ; Flint, Mark ; Seminoff, Jeffrey A. ; ...

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Journal Title:

Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Personal Author:

Putillo, Alexa R. ; Flint, Mark ; Seminoff, Jeffrey A. ; Spencer, Robert G. M. ; Fuentes, Mariana M. P. B.
NOAA Program & Office:

NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) ; SWFSC (Southwest Fisheries Science Center)
Description:

Plasma biochemistry profiles aid health assessment of marine turtles, but knowledge of the influence of regional biological factors (e.g., habitat, diet) on marine turtle blood plasma values is limited. To investigate the influence of diet on plasma biochemistry values in juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas), we used carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes to provide a quantitative estimate of forage items in green turtles feeding at two distinct areas (Bonefish Hole and South Flats) in Bimini, Bahamas. Plasma samples were obtained from 13 turtles in Bonefish Hole (a mangrove tidal estuary) and 15 turtles in South Flats (an open water seagrass bed) in 2018. All turtles appeared outwardly healthy. Sessile filter feeders contributed the largest proportion of diet in Bonefish Hole, and seagrass contributed the highest proportion of diet in South Flats. Turtles at Bonefish Hole presented significantly lower cholesterol, total protein, phosphorus, triglycerides, and aspartate transaminase compared to South Flats. Across all turtles, those feeding primarily on red algae presented the highest uric acid and alkaline phosphatase, and turtles with a seagrass-dominated diet had the highest cholesterol. Understanding dietary influence on plasma biochemistry may help explain variances seen in local health and nutritional evaluations, and the trends reported can aid the interpretation of plasma analyte values in marine turtles.
Source:

Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 56(4)
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7589/jwd-d-20-00009
ISSN:

0090-3558
Format:

pdf
Publisher:

Wildlife Disease Association
Document Type:

Journal Article
Rights Information:

Other
Compliance:

Library
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha-512:51e3eccec6043bae62d9edd936dfca01d36e71d830dd876eda4f3c49a5c0f57b7f1ecb90ecf22255748d1b95012889057c5b8cce53f2352fcd717b09a23335b7
Download URL:

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/69865/noaa_69865_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 383.26 KB ]

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