Marine Turtle Newsletter Issue Number 133 April 2012

Local fisherman Tono Girón with incidentally caught hawksbill in the river Paz, close to Barra del Jioté, Guatemala, see pages 20-22 (photo: S. Handy).

Articles Guest Editorial: Progress...... BP Wallace First Satellite Track of a Head-started Juvenile Hawksbill in the Colombian Caribbean...... K Pabón-Aldana et al. Wind Energy Plants and Possible Effects on Samandağ Sea Turtles...... Ş Yalçın-Özdilek & S Yalçın First Evidence of Green Turtle Nesting in Peru...... KS Forsberg et al. Evaluation of Sex Ratios of the Olive Ridley on La Escobilla, Mexico...... OE Hernández-Echeagaray et al. First Contemporary Record of Green Turtle Nesting in the United Arab Emirates...... AS Al Suweidi et al. Historical Occurrence and Characterization of Cutaneous Fibropapillomas in the Green Turtle along the Southern Brazilian Coast...... HA Rodrigues et al. Two Reports of Juvenile Hawksbill Sea Turtles on the Southeast Coast of Guatemala...... R Brittain et al.

Project Profile Recent Publications

Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 1 ISSN 0839-7708 Editors: Managing Editor:

Kelly R. Stewart Matthew H. Godfrey Michael S. Coyne NOAA-National Marine Fisheries Service NC Sea Turtle Project SEATURTLE.ORG Southwest Fisheries Science Center NC Wildlife Resources Commission 1 Southampton Place 3333 N. Torrey Pines Ct. 1507 Ann St. Durham, NC 27705, USA La Jolla, California 92037 USA Beaufort, NC 28516 USA

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Founding Editor: Nicholas Mrosovsky University of Toronto, Canada

Editorial Board:

Brendan J. Godley & Annette C. Broderick (Editors Emeriti) Nicolas J. Pilcher University of Exeter in Cornwall, UK Marine Research Foundation, Malaysia

George H. Balazs Manjula Tiwari National Marine Fisheries Service, Hawaii, USA National Marine Fisheries Service, La Jolla, USA

Alan B. Bolten ALan F. Rees University of Florida, USA University of Exeter in Cornwall, UK

Robert P. van Dam Kartik Shanker Chelonia, Inc. Puerto Rico, USA Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India

Angela Formia Oğuz Türkozan University of Florence, Italy Adnan Menderes University, Turkey

Colin Limpus Jeanette Wyneken Queensland Turtle Research Project, Australia Florida Atlantic University, USA

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Marine© Turtle Marine Newsletter Turtle No. Newsletter 133, 2012 - Page 1 Guest Editorial: Progress

Bryan P. Wallace Global Marine Division, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Dr. Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202 USA; Division of Marine Sciences and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Science, Duke University, 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd., Beaufort, NC 28516 USA (E-mail: [email protected]); Current address: Oceanic Society, 624 Keefer Pl NW, Washington, D.C. 20010 (E-mail: [email protected])

Recently, the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) habitat for leatherbacks—a regulation that actually has a good declared nearly 42,000 square miles off the West Coast states of chance of being enforced, a rarity in today’s world. Leatherbacks that Washington, Oregon, and California as critical habitat for the world’s will be protected by this designation migrate to the US West Coast largest turtle species, the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). For from breeding areas on the western side of the Pacific (in Indonesia, NMFS, which manages the marine resources of the US in what is Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands)—tens of thousands collectively the largest exclusive economic zone of any country in of miles away (Benson et al. 2011). And these are the responses? the world, this is the largest such designation in US waters. To be disappointed that NMFS somehow can’t shut down Leatherback populations in the Pacific Ocean, in particular, are anything that might harm leatherbacks along their entire migratory recognized as being in critical danger of extinction, as their numbers route is completely unreasonable. What ideal outcome would satisfy have declined substantially during the last two decades (Dutton et these groups? Personally, I think the appropriate response should al. 2007; Santidrián Tomillo et al. 2007; Sarti Martinez et al. 2007; be: “Thank you. Nice job.” Spotila et al. 2000). What these groups neglect to mention—or appreciate—is the Given the leatherback’s urgent conservation status, you might monumental efforts that both NMFS and the fishing industry in think that environmental groups that have been working for several these states and Hawaii have undertaken in the last decade to reduce years to secure safe havens for leatherbacks in the Pacific would incidental catch of sea turtles, including leatherbacks. The Hawaii be hailing this announcement as a major advance for sea turtle longline fleet is widely recognized as operating under perhaps the conservation. strictest management regime of any industrial fleet in the world with Unfortunately, you’d be wrong. Despite this groundbreaking respect to sea turtle (and seabird) bycatch. In addition to numerous decision, which will put federal controls on any non-recreational gear fixes to catch and injure fewer turtles, there is an extremely activity that might negatively alter habitat and affect leatherbacks, conservative cap on the number of leatherbacks and loggerheads environmental groups that were behind the lawsuits and petitions that the fleet can accidentally catch before being shut down. (To give urging NMFS to take action on this issue are still disappointed. credit where it is due, all of this regulation can be traced back to a Worse yet, they have been cavalier with information and how it is court-ordered closure of the fishery in response to lawsuits brought communicated, which undermines their credibility and message, by these very organizations.) not to mention those of their fellow conservationists. It doesn’t stop there. A seasonal fishing closure to gillnet fishing The purpose of this piece is not to single out these organizations off the US West Coast has been in place to protect—wait for it— for ridicule. Rather, it is to highlight issues that continue to plague the leatherbacks in their critical feeding areas since the early 2000s. broader conservation movement and erode its continued progress. To So how many leatherbacks have been caught in this area since that be successful, we conservationists must shed the “doom and gloom” was created? Zero. And longlines? They aren’t even allowed in the messaging, and move instead toward a fact-based focus on progress, US West Coast EEZ. But despite these commendable, effective no matter how incremental and seemingly small the achievements. management efforts, these groups try to give the idea that NMFS Below, I present some quotes from media reports about the and US fishermen are doing nothing to protect leatherbacks and announcement, and then provide context and/or address problematic fish responsibly. statements. I end with some thoughts on how we can move forward By the way, none of the dozens of other countries that fish in the as a sea turtle conservation community. North Pacific manage their fleets this carefully. So this means that Some sample quotes from the organizations involved: while these groups continue to hammer NMFS for their supposed Org. #1: “Habitat protections are vital to the survival of failure to adequately manage sea turtle bycatch, the rest of the world leatherbacks but this rule falls short of the goal.” goes on fishing with impunity. More quotes: Org. #2: “It’s a big step in the right direction, but we want protections for migratory pathways.” Org. #1: “Sea turtles will continue to swim a gauntlet to get to the best feeding areas off our coast, dodging ship traffic, long Press release by Org. #1: “Today’s final protection comes in nets [sic] and hooks.” response to a petition submitted in 2007… followed by two years of delay by the agency, missing multiple legal deadlines specified Org. #3: “Threats to these turtles are increasing, not in the Endangered Species Act.” diminishing.” To recap: NMFS has already put in place significant measures to To evaluate these claims, one should ask: how serious are the reduce fisheries bycatch (see below) as they are mandated to do by threats? And are these coastal areas now designated as critical the US Endangered Species Act. Now, NMFS just established critical habitat really where the most serious threats occur? Though Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 1 bycatch is recognized as the most pervasive threat to leatherbacks 15 years ago (Spotila et al. 1996), and the estimates it produced are (and other sea turtles) around the world (Wallace et al. 2011), it now largely obsolete. But that hasn’t stopped it from continually is unlikely that bycatch in US waters is the primary issue for this appearing as a supposedly authoritative resource. The worldwide particular population. In any case, wouldn’t this very critical habitat leatherback population is much, much larger, and definitely not designation - along with all the regulations described above - actually decreasing at such a rate. Information on leatherback abundance mean that threats are necessarily decreasing? Aren’t there now more from many sites not included in that study show that in the Atlantic protections in place than there used to be? Ocean alone there are currently between 20,000 and 56,000 adult This leatherback population also ranges throughout Southeast females (Turtle Expert Working Group 2007). And many nesting Asian waters (Benson et al. 2011), a region replete with small-scale populations are stable, if not increasing, on beaches around the fishing gear that can have huge impacts on sea turtles and other world (Wallace et al. 2011). vulnerable species (Chaloupka et al. 2004). These types of fishing So how would such factual errors make it into print? Putting activities are generally unreported, unobserved, and completely aside for a moment the fact that grizzly bears are not extinct, unmanaged. Furthermore, threats on nesting beaches can be at least one wonders where media outlets get—not to mention vet—such as important as threats from bycatch (Santidrián Tomillo et al. 2008). information. Having been a part of several media releases about To be sure, it is plausible that leatherbacks might face numerous scientific papers, I have found that journalists—under pressure to file threats across their vast ranges and long lives. But to compare as many stories as quickly as possible—will run the facts and figures this situation to “facing a gauntlet” is too dire and dramatic a that they are given to save precious time. If I wanted to be sure that perspective, and does not consider successful efforts to reduce they got numbers right, I gave them only what I was comfortable threats to leatherbacks. Protection of leatherbacks and their associating my name with, i.e., what I could support with published offspring on western Pacific beaches (and elsewhere around the data. (Of course, reporters still occasionally managed to describe world) have been in place for many years, with increasing success. details incorrectly; but in multiple cases, when I brought errors to The aforementioned accomplishments in leatherback bycatch their attention, most reporters responsibly and quickly fixed them.) management in US fisheries are indisputable. In fairness, I could even understand - but respectfully disagree A bigger stretch, and an error that appears far too commonly, - if one were to think that I’m a hypocrite for writing this critique is the assertion that leatherbacks and other sea turtle species are of other groups’ media campaigns. In recent years, I’ve translated on the verge of extinction everywhere. This is simply false, as an scientific findings and conclusions into media-friendly quotes and increasing number of reports have shown (e.g., Chaloupka et al. soundbites in order to gain traction with press coverage and broad 2008; Wallace et al. 2011). audiences. And by no means am I alone in these efforts; news From the San Francisco Chronicle’s coverage of this reports covering sea turtle research and researchers have increased announcement (Saturday, 21 January 2012): “The worldwide tremendously in recent years, which is definitely a good trend. Some population has declined by 95 percent since the 1980s because of of these translations might make scientists uncomfortable because commercial fishing, egg poaching, destruction of nesting habitat, of their brevity and illustrative nature, perhaps at the expense of the degradation of foraging habitat and changing ocean conditions. scientific nuance that provides a more thorough context for the facts Listed as endangered since 1970 under the Endangered Species on which they are based. Nonetheless, I think that just as it is our Act, there are believed to be only 2,000 to 5,700 nesting females responsibility as scientists to communicate our research results to left in the world.” our peers in the scientific community, we should explore possibilities for communication to other audience as well. From the Seattle Times (January 20, 2012): “Still, some also But there is a difference between translating from scientific believe this is a step in the right direction for the turtles, whose language to one spoken by non-specialists to advance knowledge population has been struggling for some time. In 1982, there and conservation goals, and distorting or ignoring information to were about 115,000 adult female leatherbacks in the world. advance a particular agenda. For us conservationists, our message Just 14 years later, studies found that number had dropped to is only as good as the reliability and credibility of the messengers. about 34,500.” Moreover, the facts are our friends; because stories and studies Org. #3: “We don’t want to see the leatherback turtles go the about sea turtles sell themselves, there is no need to exaggerate or way of the grizzly bear and disappear.” obscure the situation. We can just tell it like it is. These statements, like the previous ones, are incorrect. While Furthermore, for our movement to succeed, it has to work under appealing for media obsessed with controversy but not fact-based as big a tent as possible. Differences in philosophies and strategies reporting, these types of statements are misinformed, oversimplified, should not be insurmountable obstacles to working together. That and ultimately misleading. means that there is certainly a valuable role to be played by advocacy Based on current data, there is only one leatherback population in groups that keep the pressure on managers, but we must also the world - the one found in the East Pacific Ocean - that has declined acknowledge the difficult but important actions that managers make by more than 90 percent since the 1980s (Santidrián Tomillo et al. for sea turtle conservation. More importantly, we need to seek out 2007; Sarti Martinez et al. 2007; Wallace & Saba 2009), and one and take advantage of opportunities for collaborations “across party nesting population (Malaysia) that has been functionally extirpated lines,” i.e., where different organizations with distinct missions, (Liew 2010). In fact, the West Pacific leatherback population that the methods, and constituents work together on common goals. In fact, NMFS designation would protect has essentially stabilized, although we’re more likely to reach a broader audience and therefore leverage at much lower numbers than existed historically (Dutton et al. 2007). greater conservation successes by working together rather than The study referenced in the Seattle Times article was published separately or at odds with each other. Overall, we need to recognize

Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 2 and respect the backgrounds, experiences, needs, and motivations Peckham, S.H., D. Maldonado Díaz, A. Walli, G. Ruíz, L.B. of stakeholders - their realities - to effectively engage each other Crowder & W.J. Nichols. 2007. Small-scale fisheries bycatch and find common ground in conservation efforts. jeopardizes endangered Pacific loggerhead turtles. PLoS ONE 2:e1041. Finally, we must make it a top priority to acknowledge progress Santidrián Tomillo, P., E. Veléz, R.D. Reina, R. Piedra, F.V. when it occurs. Rome wasn’t built in a day, as the saying goes, Paladino & J.R. Spotila. 2007. Reassessment of the leatherback and nor will government agencies (or anyone else, for that matter) turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting population at Parque Nacional figure out how to make humans live harmoniously with nature Marino Las Baulas, Costa Rica: effects of conservation efforts. Chelonian Conservation & Biology 6: 54-62. within such a short time period. Focusing only on the failures, on the negatives, on the shortcomings of today’s conservation efforts, Santidrián Tomillo, P., V.S. Saba, R. Piedra, F.V. Paladino & J.R. Spotila. (2008) Effects of illegal harvest of eggs on the population only makes our hard jobs even harder, and certainly won’t attract decline of leatherback turtles in Las Baulas Marine National Park, Costa many newcomers to the movement. We need to inspire hope and Rica. Conservation Biology 22: 1216-1224. equanimity, not despair and acrimony. Sarti Martínez, L., A.R. Barragán, D.G. Muñoz, N. García, “It’s something we’ve been working on the past couple of P. Huerta & F. Vargas. 2007. Conservation and biology of the years,” said a NMFS ecologist, in reference to the critical habitat leatherback turtle in the Mexican Pacific. Chelonian Conservation & designation. “The agency is very happy.” Biology 6: 70-78. As it should be. Shillinger, G.L., D.M. Palacios, H. Bailey, S.J. Bograd, We are a unique, diverse, quirky, infuriating, inspiring group of A.M. Swithenbank, P. Gaspar, B.P. Wallace, J.R. Spotila, mildly (if not clinically) obsessed people trying to make the world F.V. Paladino, R. Piedra, S.A. Eckert & B.A. Block .2008. Persistent leatherback turtle migrations present opportunities for a better place, one saved turtle at a time. For us to succeed in our conservation. PLoS Biology 6:e171. mission to recover sea turtle populations around the world, we must Spotila, J.R., A.E. Dunham, A.J. Leslie, A.C. Steyermark, P.T. celebrate and draw strength from our commonly shared passions, Plotkin & F.V. Paladino. 1996. Worldwide leatherback population visions, and missions. decline of Dermochelys coriacea: are leatherback turtles going extinct? The turtles and their ocean homes are counting on us. Chelonian Conservation & Biology 2: 209-222. Spotila, J.R., R.D. Reina. A.C. Steyermark, P.T. Plotkin Benson, S.R., T. Eguchi, D.G. Foley, K.A. Forney, H. Bailey, C. & F.V. Paladino. 2000. Pacific leatherback turtles face extinction. Hitipeuw, B.P. Samber, R.F. Tapilatu, V. Rei, P. Ramohia, J. Nature 405: 529-530. Pita & P.H. Dutton. 2011. Large-scale movements and high-use areas of western Pacific leatherback turtles,Dermochelys coriacea. Ecosphere Turtle Expert Working Group. 2007. An assessment of the 2(7):art84. doi:10.1890/ES11-00053.1. Leatherback Turtle Population in the Atlantic Ocean. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-555, 124 pp. Chaloupka, M., P. Dutton & H. Nakano. 2004. Status of sea turtle stocks in the Pacific. FAO Report, pp. 135-206. Wallace, B.P. & V.S. Saba. 2009. Environmental and anthropogenic impacts on intra-specific variation in leatherback turtles: opportunities for Chaloupka, M., K.A. Bjorndal, G.H. Balazs, A.B. Bolten, targeted research and conservation Endangered Species Research 7: 1–11. L.M. Ehrhart, C.J. Limpus, H. Suganuma, S. Troeng & M. Yamaguchi. 2008. Encouraging outlook for recovery of a Wallace, B., R. Lewison, S. McDonald, R. McDonald, once severely exploited marine megaherbivore. Global Ecology and C. Kot, S. Kelez, R. Bjorkland, E. Finkbeiner, S. Biogeography 17: 297-304. Helmbrecht & L. Crowder. 2010. Global patterns of marine turtle bycatch. Conservation Letters 3: 131-142. LIEW, H.-C. 2010. Tragedy of the Malaysian leatherback population. In: P.H. Dutton, D. Squires & M. Ahmed (Eds.). Conservation of Pacific Wallace, B.P., A.D. DiMatteo, A.B. Bolten, M.Y. Chaloupka, Sea Turtles. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, HI, USA, pp. 97-107. B.J. Hutchinson, F.A. Abreu-Grobois, J.A. Mortimer, J.A. Seminoff, D. Amorocho, K.A. Bjorndal, J. Bourjea, B.W. Dutton, P.H., C. Hitipeuw, M. Zein, S.R. Benson, G. Petro, J. Bowen, R. Briseño-Dueñas, P. Casale, B.C. Choudhury, Pita, V. Rei, L. Ambio & J. Barkabessy. 2007. Status and genetic A. Costa, P.H. Dutton, A. Fallabrino, E.M. Finkbeiner, structure of nesting populations of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys A. Girard, M. Girondot, M.H. Godfrey, M. Hamann, B.J. coriacea) in the Western Pacific. Chelonian Conservation & Biology Hurley, M. López-Mendilaharsu, M.A. Marcovaldi, J.A. 6: 47-53. Musick, R. Nel, N.J. Pilcher, S. Troëng, B. Witherington & r.B. Mast. 2011. Global conservation priorities for marine turtles. PLoS ONE 6: e24510. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024510

Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 3 First Satellite Track of a Head-started Juvenile Hawksbill in the Colombian Caribbean

Karen Pabón-Aldana, Carmen L. Noriega-Hoyos & Guiomar A. Jaúregui Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Marine Biology Program, Carrera 2 No. 11-68. Mundo Marino Building, Rodadero Santa Marta, Colombia (E-mail:[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected])

The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is one of the most Argos CLS system and plotted it using the Satellite Tracking and notable species of sea turtle worldwide because of the attractiveness Analysis Tool (STAT; Coyne & Godley 2005). To improve the of the scutes that cover its shell. This feature has for decades location accuracy, positions were considered unacceptable if they encouraged an intensive illegal trade to meet the demands for were located on land (Parker et al. 2009) or if turtle speeds exceeded tortoiseshell, otherwise known as bekko (Meylan 1999a). In 5 km/h, which represents the maximum expected speed of travel addition, the consumption of its meat and eggs (Groombridge & (Hays et al. 2001; Luschi et al. 1998). Luxmoore 1989) along with the destruction of foraging, breeding Satellite images of surface currents were extracted from the and nesting areas (Chacón 2004; Meylan & Donnelly 1999) have Ssalto/Duacs system (Aviso 2010). The surface temperature of contributed to the listing of this species as Critically Endangered water in Colombia was obtained from the Center for Oceanographic on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and Hydrographic Research (CIOH) and in Panama from (IUCN 2009). the Environmental Sciences Program of the Smithsonian One of the strategies for mitigating the high mortality of these Tropical Research Institute. The relationship between physical individuals is the head-starting process, where hatchlings are raised oceanographic parameters and the route taken by the turtle was in captivity for the first year of life (Ross 2000). This strategy is estimated qualitatively by overlaying maps of each component. expected to increase survival by enhancing their size, which protects For correlations between variables, Pearson’s test was used with them to some degree from the high rates of natural predation the InfoStat software (Zar 2010). to which they will be exposed during their early months of life The tag transmitted location data for 64 days and showed that (MINAMBIENTE 2002; Mortimer 1995). the maximum distance traveled by the turtle was 1463.66 km from This technique is still debated, with some believing that captive- the release site (Fig. 1). January was the month with the highest raised turtles may exhibit migratory behavior that differs from that number of locations recorded (n = 45), followed by December with of wild turtles. There may also be interference with the imprinting 20 locations, while February had only three location data points. mechanism that guides turtles to the nesting beach (Bowen et al. 2007; Huff 1989; Meylan 1999b). Furthermore, there is limited data relating to survival, adaptation and eventual breeding success and thus it has been difficult to assess the success of head-starting (Klima & McVey 1981; NRC 1990). Nevertheless, the experience in Los Roques, Venezuela has been that immature hawksbills do have the ability to survive and to cover long distances even though they were raised in captivity (E. Weil In: Meylan 1999b). Shaver & Caillouet (1998) also reported that head-started Kemp’s ridleys (Lepidochelys kempii) returned to their release locations to reproduce successfully as adults. Therefore, the post-release monitoring of the behavior and survival of head-started animals may provide information that helps to realize the effectiveness of head-starting programs (Okuyama et al. 2010). To increase our knowledge about migratory behavior, such as the displacement of a four-year-old head-started hawksbill turtle, a satellite transmitter SPOT5 AM–S244B programmed according to the manufacturer-suggested specifications was used (Wildlife Computers 2006). We attached the device to the second dorsal vertebral scute using epoxy putty (Tubolit MEP 301) and followed the Regional Research and Conservation of Sea Turtles of Argentina (PRICTMA) tag attachment protocol. The turtle (named Cumbiarey) was raised by the Sea Turtle Conservation Program (ProCTM) in Santa Marta, Colombia from Figure 1. Migratory movements of Cumbiarey after release 2005 to 2009. It measured 52.6 cm curved carapace length (CCL) on 5 December 2009 in Gayraca Bay, Tayrona National and 47.0 cm curved carapace width (CCW). It was released on 5 Park, Colombia. Distance traveled was 1,463.66 km over a December 2009 in Gayraca Bay, Tayrona National Park, Colombia 6-month period. The map was made using Maptool (www. (11°19’5.98’’ N – 74°6’24.96’’W). We retrieved data using the seaturtle.org/maptool/). Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 4 southern part of the anticyclonic current to Costa Rica waters, in close association with surface currents; Fig. 2 shows the use of the surface currents along the turtle’s route. This path was 1,044 km long and represented 71% of the total movement. The highest speed recorded was 3.4 ± 0.19 km/h, while the lowest average speed was 0.73 ± 0.19 km/h; this occurred along the Colombian coast. This finding suggests that Cumbiarey attained higher speeds in the open sea, possibly due to the influence of currents. When the turtle was near shore, speeds decreased (Cuevas et al. 2008). The turtle continued in a southeasterly direction to the province of Bocas del Toro in Panama where it entered northeast of Isla Colon and continued southwest into the archipelago. Bocas del Toro is home to 90% of the coral species in Panama (Guzmán & Guevara 1999) and appears to be highly favorable feeding grounds for juvenile and adult hawksbill turtles (Carr et al. 1982; Meylan et al. 2006). Cumbiarey remained predominantly within the central aquatic region of this province, which is an area with a high coverage of corals (44%), a high diversity of sponges (51%) and a dominant Figure 2. Absolute geostrophic velocity for the Western algal presence (30%) (Guzmán & Guevara 1999). These conditions Caribbean (cm s-1) on 5 Jan. 2009. Red dots indicate the suggest that this region has a suitable foraging base to be designated locations of Cumbiarey between 25 Dec-5 Jan 2009. The as a developmental foraging habitat. Cumbiarey remained at this map was made using Maptool (www.seaturtle.org/maptool/). location for the duration of the transmission of the tag. One of the advantages of using tags like the SPOT5 is obtaining During March, April and May we continued receiving messages temperature data (Byles 1993). During the six months of tracking from the device; however the number of messages per satellite Cumbiarey, we received 69 temperature recordings within the range pass did not exceed the minimum requirement (>4) for estimating of 25.1°C to 30.6°C. The results of the Pearson test indicated a an accurate location. The interruption or cessation of transmission strong correlation (r(69) = 0.70) between the station data from the may be attributed to different factors including the expiration of the Smithsonian and temperature sensor data from the SPOT5; this battery, biofouling or physical damage (Hays et al. 2007), and in similarity is reflected in the monthly temperature average (Fig. 3). this case may have been the result of antenna wear after arrival of This correlation indicates that temperature is an important variable the turtle in a foraging area, or a degradation of the signal strength that may be useful for validating geographic locations of Cumbiarey. (Parker et al. 2009). There is some other information about the movements of During the first 21 days, the juvenile turtle remained in the waters hawksbill turtles tracked using satellite telemetry within the of the Tayrona National Natural Park swimming parallel to the coast Wider Caribbean, such as the work done since 2003 by the for over 149 km. This behavior is similar to the turtle tracked by Caribbean Conservation Corporation (now known as the Sea Turtle Klima & McVey (1981), where head–started turtles were observed Conservancy) at Chiriquí Beach (Espinosa et al. 2004; Espinosa et to remain in the release area for 10 days. al. 2006). Studies have also been done at Tortuguero, Costa Rica After the third week, the turtle swam away from the Magdalena (Tröeng et al. 2005), Mona Island in Puerto Rico (Van Dam et al. coast, possibly traveling within the Caribbean current. At that time 2008) and along the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (Cuevas et al. 2008). oceanographic reports indicated the formation of mesoscale eddies However, the route traced by Cumbiarey from Colombia to Panama as a result of the Caribbean current and Panama-Colombia counter is the first record from the Colombian Caribbean. Our data reveal current merging (CIOH 2008). Cumbiarey traveled within the a trajectory that connects with a possible migratory pathway from the Lesser Antilles. Additionally, it suggests that the foraging areas reported for adults may not be different from the developmental areas used by juveniles; they may be close to one another, even though there are bathymetric differences (Buitrago & Guada 2002; McGowan et al. 2008). This may indicate that Bocas del Toro is not only a region of great importance for nesting and breeding hawksbills but that it also has high value as a feeding and developmental habitat for young turtles (Meylan et al. 1993). Cumbiarey demonstrated that juvenile hawksbill turtles from head-started projects are able to migrate Figure 3. A comparison of average values between the monthly sea and survive in the wild for a period of at least of surface temperatures from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute 6 months, travelling within surface currents to (light grey bars) and the data from the SPOT5 (dark grey bars). Column successfully arrive at documented areas known for sea bars represent standard errors. turtle nesting and foraging. However, it is necessary Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 5 to increase the number of tracked turtles, both head-started and and Bastimentos Island Marine National Park, Panamá.” Caribbean wild, to compare routes and confirm that head-starting projects are Conservation Corporation, Gainesville, FL. 35p. a valuable and appropriate conservation tool. GUZMÁN, H. & C. GUEVARA. 1999. Arrecifes coralinos de Bocas Acknowledgements: Financial support was received from Jorge Tadeo del Toro, Panamá: III. Distribución, estructura, diversidad y estado de Lozano University. We thank the contributors from Petrobras, Mundo conservación de los arrecifes de las Islas Pastores, Cristóbal, Popa y Cayo Marino Aquarium and authorization from the Magdalena’s Autonomous Agua. Revista de Biología Tropical, 47: 659–679. Corporation and the National Natural Parks of Colombia. We also want GROOMBRIDGE, B. & R. LUXMOORE. 1989. The Green Turtle and to thank Alvaro Rodriguez Cabrera and Andrés Franco for their help Hawksbill (Reptilia: Cheloniidae): World Status, Exploitation and Trade. with the maps, also to Jorge Bernal Gutiérrez, Nadya Ramírez and Jose Lausanne, Switzerland: CITES Secretariat, 601p. Fernando Gonzalez Maya. Special thanks to Victoria Gonzalez Carman from PRICTMA who helped us with the satellite tag attachment and to The HAYS, G.C., C.J.A. BRADSHAW, M.C. JAMES, P. LOVELL & D.W. Environmental Sciences Program of the Smithsonian Tropical Research SIMS. 2007. Why do Argos satellite tags deployed on marine animals Institute. We also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their comments stop transmitting? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology that were useful in improving the manuscript. 349: 52–60. AVISO. 2010. Live Access Server. LAS V7.0 Beta Version 6 UI. Available HAYS, G.C., S. ÅKESSON, B.J. GODLEY, P. LUSCHI & P. SANTIDRIAN. online: http://las.aviso.oceanosbs.com 2001. The implications of location accuracy for the interpretation of satellite-tracking data. Animal Behavior 61:1035-1040. BOWEN, B.W., W.S. GRANT, Z. HILLIS-STARR, D.J. SHAVER, K.A. BJORNDAL, A.B. BOLTEN & A.L. BASS. 2007. Mixed-stock analysis HUFF, J.A. 1989. Florida (USA) terminates 'headstart' program. Marine reveals the migrations of juvenile hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys Turtle Newsletter. 46: 1-2. imbricata) in the Caribbean Sea. Molecular Ecology 16: 49-60. IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). 2009. IUCN Red BUITRAGO, J. & H. GUADA. 2002. La Tortuga Carey (Eretmochelys List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. www.iucnredlist.org. imbricata) en Venezuela. Interciencia 27: 392 - 399. KLIMA, E.F. & J.P. MCVEY. 1981. Headstarting the Kemp’s ridley turtle, BYLES, R. 1993. Telemetría por satélite de tortugas marinas. In: Frazier, J., Lepidochelys kempi. In: K.A. Bjorndal (Ed.). Biology and Conservation R. Vázquez, E. Galicia, R. Durán & L. Capuro (Eds.). Memorias del IV of Sea Turtles. Smithsonian Institute Press, Washington D.C. pp. 481-487. Taller regional sobre Programas de Conservación de Tortugas Marinas en LUSCHI, P., G.C. HAYS, C. DEL SEPPIA, R. MARSH & F. PAPI. 1998. la Península de Yucatán, 11-13 de Marzo, 1991. Universidad Autónoma The navigational feats of green sea turtles migrating from Ascension de Yucatán. pp. 27-35. Island investigated by satellite telemetry. The Royal Society B. 265: CARR, A.F., A. MEYLAN, J.A. MORTIMER, K.A. BJORNDAL & T. 2279-2284. CARR. 1982. Surveys of sea turtle populations and habitats in the western MCGOWAN, A., A.C. BRODERICK, G. FRETT, S. GORE, M. Atlantic. NOAA Tech Memo NMFS-SEFC-91. 82pp. HASTINGS, A. PICKERING, D. WHEATLEY, J. WHITE, M.J. WITT CHACÓN, D. 2004. La tortuga carey del Caribe – Introducción a su biología & B.J GODLEY. 2008. Down but not out: marine turtles of the British y estado de conservación. WWF-Programa Regional para América Latina Virgin Islands. Animal Conservation 11: 92–103. y el Caribe, San José, Costa Rica. 64pp. MEYLAN, A., I. CASTILLO, N. D. GONZALEZ, C. ORDOÑEZ, S. CIOH (Centro de Investigaciones Oceanográficas e Hidrográficas). TROËNG, A. RUIZ & P. MEYLAN. 2006. Bastimentos Island National 2008. Boletín Meteomarino Diario. Pronóstico de las condiciones Marine Park and Playa Chiriquí: protected areas vital to the recover of meteorológicas y oceanográficas. Available online: http://www.cioh. the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in Caribbean Panama. In: org.co. M. Frick, A. Panagopoulou, A.F. Rees & K. Williams (Comps.). Book of Abstracts, 26th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Conservation and COYNE, M.S. & B.J. GODLEY. 2005. Satellite Tracking and Analysis Biology. International Sea Turtle Society, Athens, Greece. pp. 145-146. Tool (STAT): an integrated system for archiving, analyzing and mapping animal tracking data. Marine Ecology Progress Series 301: 1-7. MEYLAN, A.B. 1999a. Status of the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Caribbean Region. Chelonian Conservation & Biology CUEVAS, E., F.A. ABREU-GROBOIS, V. GUZMAN-HERNANDEZ, 3: 177-184. M.A. LICEAGA-CORREA & R.P. VAN DAM. 2008. Post-nesting migratory movements of hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata in MEYLAN, A.B. 1999b. International movements of immature and adult waters adjacent to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Endangered Species hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Caribbean Region. Research 10: 123-133. Chelonian Conservation & Biology 3: 189-194. ESPINOSA O.C., A. RUIZ, S. TROËNG, A. MEYLAN & P. MEYLAN. MEYLAN, A.B., & M. DONNELLY. 1999. Status justification for listing 2004. Final project report: “2003 hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) as Critically Endangered on imbricate) research and population recovery, at Chiriqui Beach and the 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. Chelonian Conservation Escudo de Veraguas Island, Ñö Kribo region, Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca, & Biology 3: 200-224. and Bastimentos Island Marine National Park.” Caribbean Conservation MEYLAN, A., P. MEYLAN & A. RUIZ. 1993. Las tortugas marinas en la Corporation, Gainesville, FL. 21p. Provincia de Bocas del Toro. In: S. Heckadon (Ed.). Agenda Ecológica ESPINOSA O.C., A. RUIZ, S. TROËNG, A. MEYLAN & P. MEYLAN. y Social para Bocas del Toro. Panamá. pp. 49-53. 2006. Final project report: “2005 hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys MINAMBIENTE (Ministerio del Medio Ambiente). 2002. Programa imbricata) research and population recovery at Chiriqui Beach and Nacional para la Conservación de las Tortugas Marinas y Continentales Escudo de Veraguas Island, Ñö Kribo region, Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca, en Colombia. Dirección general de ecosistemas, Bogotá. 63p.

Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 6 MORTIMER, J.A. 1995. Headstarting as a management tool. In: K.A. Técnicas de Investigación y Manejo para la Conservación de las Tortugas Bjorndal (Ed.). Biology and Conservation of Sea Turtles. Smithsonian Marinas. Grupo Especialista en Tortugas Marinas UICN/CSE Publicación Institute Press, Washington D.C. pp. 613-615. No. 4. pp. 225-231. NRC (National Research Council). 1990. Decline of the Sea Turtles: Causes SHAVER, D.J. & C.W. CAILLOUET, JR. 1998. More Kemp’s ridley turtles and Prevention. National Academy Press, Washington DC. 259p. return to South Texas to nest. Marine Turtle Newsletter 82: 1-5. OKUYAMA, J., T. SHIMIZU, O. ABE, K. YOSEDA & N. ARAI. 2010. TROËNG, S., P.H. DUTTON & D. EVANS. 2005. Migration of hawksbill Wild versus head-started hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata: post- turtles Eretmochelys imbricata from Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Ecography release behavior and feeding adaptions. Endangered Species Research 28: 394-402. 10: 181–190. VAN DAM, R.P., C.E. DIEZ, G.H. BALAZS, L.A. COLÓN COLÓN, W.O. PARKER, D.M., G.H. BALAZS, C.S. KING, K. LARRY & W. MCMILLAN & B. SCHROEDER. 2008. Sex-specific migration patterns GILMARTIN. 2009. Short-range movements of hawksbill turtles of hawksbill turtles breeding at Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Endangered (Eretmochelys imbricata) from nesting to foraging areas within the Species Research 4: 85–94. Hawaiian Islands. Pacific Science 63: 371-382. WILDLIFE COMPUTERS. 2006. SPOT5 User guide. 25 pp. ROSS, J.P. 2000. La crianza y reproducción en cautiverio de tortugas ZAR, J. 2010. Biostatistical Analysis. Fifth Edition. Prentice Hall. New marinas: una evolución de su uso como estrategia de conservación. Jersey. 944p. In: K.L. Eckert, K. Bjorndal, A. Abreu-Grobois & M. Donnelly (Eds).

Wind Energy Plants and Possible Effects on Samandağ Sea Turtles

Şükran Yalçın-Özdilek1 & Sevil Yalçın2 1Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Biology, Terzioğlu Campus 17020 Çanakkale, Turkey (E-mail: [email protected]); 2Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Education Anafartalar Campus, 17100 Çanakkale, Turkey (E-mail: [email protected])

Wind energy plants (WEPs) in offshore and onshore locations beaches as nesting habitat. Samandağ beach is one of the most have grown dramatically over the past decade in various parts of important nesting beaches for green turtles in Mediterranean. The the world, including the Mediterranean. When compared to fossil- nest number of green turtles in this area has reached 621 in 2009 based and nuclear energy supplies, renewable energies such as nesting season (Yalçın-Özdilek & Sönmez 2011). The River Asi wind plants are often assumed as environmentally inoffensive. The separates the beaches into two sections, Meydan Beach on the south advantages of renewable energy are well known on a global scale; and the Çevlik and Şeyhhızır beaches on the north. Green turtles however, possible impacts of renewable energy sources on the local nest particularly about 3 km north and south of the Asi River mouth. environment must nevertheless be considered (Inger et al. 2009). Moreover, there is some evidence that that the area also serves as Alternating electric currents generate electromagnetic field. foraging habitat for sea turtles (Yalçın-Özdilek & Sönmez 2007; Power lines are highly observable sources of these artificial Yalçın-Özdilek & Auregi 2006). electromagnetic fields (EMF). SEA (2004) identified four The high wind energy potential of some locations in Turkey has potential sources of EMF associated with wind farming: the grid encouraged private firms to attempt installing wind power plants. interconnection power line, the wind turbine generators, electrical Samandağ has one of the most important wind energy potentials transformers and the underground collector network cabling. in Turkey (EİE 2010). To date, there are two licensed wind energy Bansal et al. (2002) indicated that the wind turbine towers also can plants in Samandağ. One of the turbine fields is located about cause electromagnetic interference (EMI) on the performance of 250 m from the sea turtle nesting beach. Currently, there are 28 the nearby transmitters or receivers (Patel 1999). The EMI nearby new applications for renewable wind energy plants in Samandağ, transmitters or receivers can have hazardous effects on organisms. including one application for a 33-unit turbine field, producing 165 Koops (2000) calculated that a monopolar cable carrying 1500 A MW of power, located nearshore near the three km zone around the produces a magnetic flux density of approximately 300 µT on the Asi river (Fig. 1) that has the highest density of nesting (RTEMRA seabed above the cable, falling off to 50 µT at a distance of 5 m 2012). Although the protected areas of Samandağ beach include the above the seabed, and 13 µT at 20 m above the seabed. dune and open sandy zones, the planned positions of the turbines Samandağ beach is located in the southern part of the Turkey, are just off the beach, in the nearshore area, where nesting females on the eastern Mediterranean (Fig. 1). The main beach is ~14 km and hatchling have to traverse to get on and/or off the nesting area and the extended beach is about 24 km in length. The beach width of Samandağ. Concerns related to the proposed wind plants have varies between 50 and 250 m in different parts of the beach. Two been discussed in different platforms with broad participation of sea turtle species, Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas, use the academics and official decision makers and NGOs. The remarks Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 7 possible negative consequences for sea turtles (Fig. 2), particularly if cables on or under the sea floor also generate large EMF values. Sea turtles often display strong migratory behaviour between foraging and breeding grounds, including loggerheads and green turtles (e.g. Carr 1975; 1986; Limpus et al. 1992). Loggerhead hatchlings leave nests in the northwestern Atlantic follow the Gulf Stream across to the northeastern Atlantic, and migrate back as large juveniles to the northwestern Atlantic (Bolten et al. 1998). Experimental studies show that hatchlings and juvenile turtles are sensitive to the earth’s natural magnetic field and they can distinguish magnetic inclination in different places during their migration routes (Lohmann 1991; Luschi et al. 2007). The magnetic field intensity varies in different parts of the earth and this is a potential source for positional information. Sea turtle can distinguish magnetic differences lighter than 9 mT (Lohmann et al. 1999; 2001). Therefore, the changes to electromagnetic fields in natural habitats from under sea or under sand cables with respect to impacts on the behaviour of sea turtles should be considered and investigated. Hepbaşlı et al. (2001) ranked WEPs as potentially important future energy sources in Turkey, yet did not Figure 1. The left map indicates the Samandağ and extended beaches adequately consider the potential negative impacts (TR-H-1, TR-H-2, TR-H-3, Kale), the right map indicates sections of of WEPs on the environment. The benefits of WEPs Samandağ beach. include low carbon emissions, being derived from a renewable source (wind), and being local. However, put forward by academics in the meetings have been fruitful and WEPs may have possible negative impacts, particularly on migrating drawn attention to the issue. animals such as sea turtles. Therefore, construction of these kinds Here we address the potential threats to sea turtles from both the of energy requires careful consideration, particularly in areas with wind turbines and the cables that carry energy from the turbines. high levels of biodiversity. The development of wind farms in Using an electromagnetic meter to measure EMF in different Samandağ, which is one of the most important green turtles nesting locations around a turbine and its cable, we found generally that beaches in the Mediterranean, should be assessed on site-specific EMF values decreased with distance from the turbine, except for a and species-specific criteria to determine whether the adverse corridor where the energy transfer cable is located one meter under impacts can be mitigated. From an ecological point of view, coastal the ground (Fig. 2). areas in Samandağ are fragile ecosystems with high ecological Based on our measurements, the cables leaving from the and biodiversity values, including sea turtles. According to the wind turbines have stronger EMF values and thus may have Bern Convention, endangered species such as sea turtles should be afforded primary protection. The Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs of Turkey has invested time and energy with university researchers to protect nesting sea turtles in Samandağ. The protection of endangered species individuals is important, however in terms of conservation, the protection of a population, including its various habitats used for nesting, feeding, migration and wintering is critical for success. The protection of habitats in turn provides umbrella protection for larger ecosystems that are used by various flora and fauna. Therefore, we recommend that more effort is expended to protect all life stages and habitats of sea turtles, thereby conserving larger ecosystems on which many species depend.

BANSAL, R.C., T.S. BHATTI & D.P. KOTHARI. 2002. On some of the design aspects of wind energy conservation systems energy. Conservation and Management 43: 2175-2187. Figure 2. The measured electromagnetic field around a wind BOLTEN, A.B., K.A. BJORNDAL, H.R. MARTINS, T. DELLINGER, turbine, located in the centre of the circle. Small circles M.J. BISCOITO, S.E. ENCALADA & B.W. BOWEN. 1998. indicate the measurement points. Transatlantic developmental migrations of loggerhead sea turtles

Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 8 demonstrated by mtDNA sequence analysis. Ecological Applications LOHMANN, K.J, S.D. CAIN & C.M.F. LOHMANN. 2001. Regional 8: 1-7. magnetic fields as navigational markers for sea turtles. Science CARR, A. 1975. The Ascension Island green turtle colony. Copiea 1975: 294:364-366. 547-555. LUSCHI, P., S. BENHAMOU, C. GIRARD, S. CICCIONE, D. ROOS, CARR, A. 1986. Rips, FADS, and little loggerheads. Bioscience 36: 92– J. SUDRE & S. BENVENUTI. 2007. Marine turtles use geomagnetic 100. cues during open-sea homing. Current Biology 17: 126-133. Elektrik Işleri Etüd İdaresi Genel Müdürlüğü (EİE) PATEL M.R. 1999. Wind and solar power systems. CRC Press, Boca 2010. Rüzgar Enerjisi Potansiyel Atlası. Retrived on 22 June 2010. Raton, Florida. www.eie.gov.tr/duyurular/YEK/YEKrepa/REPA-duyuru_01.html Republic of Turkey Energy Market Regulatory HEPBAŞLI, A., A. ÖZDAMAR & N. ÖZALP. 2001. Present status Authority (RTEMRA) 2012. İnceleme ve değerlendįrmeye alinan and potential of renewable energy sources in Turkey. Energy Sources üretım lisanı başvurulari ve ıtıraz sürelerı. http://www2.epdk.org.tr/ 23:631-648. lisans/elektrik/lisansdatabase/basvuruuretimRES.asp INGER R., M.J. ATTRILL, S. BEARHOP, A.C. BRODERICK, W.J. Sustainable Energy Australia (SEA) Pty. Ltd. 2004. The GRECIAN, D.J. HODGSON, C. MILLS, E. SHEEHAN, S.C. VOTIER, electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic field implications for M.J. WITT & B.J.GODLEY. 2009. Marine renewable energy: potential wind farming in Australia. Australian Greenhouse Office & Australian benefits to biodiversity? An urgent call for research. Journal of Applied Wind Energy Association: Melbourne and Canberra. www.w-wind.com. Ecology 46: 1145–1153. au/downloads/CBP10_EMCEMF.pdf KOOPS, F.B.J. 2000. Electric and magnetic fields in consequence of WILLIAMS, L.O. 1994. Alternative energy sources. Applied Energy 47: undersea power cables. In: Proceeding of International Seminar 123-146. on Effect of electromagnetic Fields on the living Environment, 4-5 YALÇIN-ÖZDİLEK, Ş. & M. AUREGGI. 2006. Strandings of juvenile October 1999, Ismaning Germany.Oberschleissheim (Germany): green turtles at Samandağ, Turkey. Chelonian Conservation & Biology ICNIRP. pp. 189-210. 5: 152-154. LIMPUS, C.J., J.D. MILLER, C.J. PARMENTER, D. REIMER, N. YALÇIN-ÖZDİLEK Ş. & B. SÖNMEZ. 2007. Samandağ Kumsalları’nda MCLACHLAN & R. WEBB. 1992. Migration of green (Chelonia Karaya Vurmuş Ölü Kaplumbağalar. II. Ulusal Deniz Kaplumbağaları mydas) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles to and from eastern Sempozyumu, 25-27 Ekim 2007 Dalyan Muğla p. 82. Australian rookeries. Wildlife Research 19: 347-358. YALÇIN-ÖZDİLEK Ş. & B. SÖNMEZ 2011. Nesting characteristics at LOHMANN, K.J. 1991. Magnetic orientation by hatchling loggerhead sea Samandağ and extended beaches, Turkey. Marine Turtle Newsletter turtles (Caretta caretta). Journal of Experimental Biology 155: 37-49. 131: 7-9. LOHMANN, K.J., J.T. HESTER & C.M.F. LOHMANN. 1999. Long- distance navigation in sea turtles. Ethology, Ecology & Evolution 11: 1-23.

First Evidence of Green Turtle Nesting in Peru

Kerstin S. Forsberg1, Fernando Casabonne L.1 & Jacinto Castillo Torres1,2 1Planeta Océano – Planet Ocean / Proyecto Tortugas Marinas. Tumbes, Perú (E-mail: [email protected]); 2Instituto Superior Tecnológico Público Contralmirante Manuel Villar Olivera, Tumbes, Perú

The east Pacific green turtle (also known as black turtle or “tortuga “Proyecto Tortugas Marinas” have engaged local community negra”, Chelonia mydas; Linnaeus 1758) occurs principally members from villages along the coast of Tumbes, northern Peru, from Baja California (Mexico) to Valparaiso (Chile) and west in efforts to promote conservation of sea turtles and other marine to the archipelagos of Revillagigedos (Mexico) and Galapagos resources. The northern coast of Peru is considered an important (Ecuador), with the principal nesting rookeries located at the foraging and development area for sea turtles (Hays Brown & beaches of Michoacan in Mexico, the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Brown 1982; Forsberg 2008; Rosales et al. 2008); and to date, only and the Galapagos islands (Chaloupka et al. 2004; Seminoff the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) was documented 2002; Seminoff et al. 2008; Troncoso Fierro & Urbina Burgos nesting in this region (Hays & Brown 1982; Manrique et al. 2003; 2007). Previously, the southernmost nesting of green turtles in Kelez et al. 2009; Vera et al. 2008). Chelonia mydas nesting had the eastern Pacific had been recorded in Piqueros beach, south to never been reported from Peru before, despite the proximity to the Machalilla National Park, Ecuador (Peña et al., unpublished nesting sites in Ecuador. data; Fig. 1). Here we report the first record of green turtle nesting In March 2009, residents from the coastal community of Los in Peru, which, in addition, constitutes one of the southernmost Pinos, province of Contralmirante Villar, Tumbes (Fig. 1) reported nesting accounts for this species in the eastern Pacific. the discovery of sea turtle hatchlings that had been encountered on Since 2007, volunteers from the Peruvian NGO “Planeta the beach three months earlier, close to nearby homes (3°41’00.8”S, Océano” (Planet Ocean) and its sea turtle flagship program 80°41’19.9”W). Based on field interviews, it was determined that Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 9 Figure 2. Green turtle from nest laid in Los Pinos, Peru, held in captivity by local community members. Curved carapace length <10 cm, container diameter = 30 cm.

its CCL increased to 20.5 cm, and it remained vigorous and fed actively throughout. Natural behaviors such as diving and resting with its front flippers lying behind its carapace were observed. Such behaviors were also confirmed upon transporting the turtle to a larger seawater tank before its release. On Friday, 17 July 2009, at 12:30 pm, the turtle was tagged with Figure 1. Location of green turtle nest in the community a flipper tag on the trailing edge of both fore flippers and freed on of Los Pinos, province of Contralmirante Villar, Tumbes, the beach, in an area with little fishery interference. It crawled to northern Peru. Location of southernmost green turtle nest in the water and swam away from the coast. The turtle was escorted Ecuador is indicated by open circle. approximately 80 m out to sea, in order to ascertain whether its behavior was adequate, and to ensure a path free of fishing gear. approximately 80 hatchlings were found, some located inland The turtle began its route with short (4-5 seconds long) and from the beach, likely attracted by artificial lights. An unknown superficial (approx. 40 cm. deep) dives, and after approximately 50 number of hatchlings were collected and maintained in captivity m, continued with longer (approx. 10 second) dives. The release by different local families. Most hatchlings died during the first involved the local family and other residents of Los Pinos, all of few days of captivity. About 15 hatchlings were reported to have whom were clearly excited and proud of this event. been released back into the sea shortly after their capture. Although this account is based on one turtle, it provides several The “Proyecto Tortugas Marinas” volunteers were invited into insights that could be important to guide future research and the private residence of the Sunción family, and shown a sole conservation measures for this species in the region. First, the surviving individual, which was identified as a green turtle (curved southward extension of the nesting range for this species should carapace length, CCL < 10 cm, Fig. 2). Recognizing that captive be considered in future management plans. Whether green turtles conditions were clearly substandard relative to those recommended once nested in Peru in greater numbers is unknown. However, by Higgins (2003), the volunteers explained the importance of climate change may someday alter the distribution of sea turtles release of the captive turtle back to the sea. Because the family had in the Eastern Pacific (Fischlin et al. 2007; Hoffman et al. 2009), grown fond of their “pet,” they were reluctant to release the turtle perhaps including more regular green turtle nesting in northern and did so only after respectful negotiation and explanation of the Peru. Additional observations of green sea turtle nesting reported need for better husbandry conditions. later on in the area (Wester et al. in press) suggest that reproductive The captive history of the turtle is as follows: During its first events for this species could indeed be more common than once 3 days of captivity (January 2009) the turtle was kept in a plastic expected for northern Peru. Second, this case reveals potential 30-50 cm diameter x 30-35 cm deep bucket with tap water. The problems and obstacles for sea turtle nesting in Peru, including the turtle’s condition deteriorated, so the tap water was replaced with presence of visible artificial light at night on beaches due to the approx. 8 L of seawater, and changed daily. The turtle was fed 3 growing tourism infrastructure and proximity of towns to beaches, times per day with small pieces (approx. 100 g) of fish or shrimp. and the collection of hatchlings over curiosity or entertainment. On sporadic occasions it was fed chicken, and during the last As observations of sea turtle nesting events become more months of captivity it was also fed live specimens of mole crabs frequent in the region (Forsberg et al., unpublished data; Kelez (Emerita analoga). In total, the family held the turtle in captivity et al. 2009), awareness campaigns and local empowerment is for 6 months, from January to July 2009. During this period, necessary to mitigate impacts on potential future nests laid in the Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 10 area. Planeta Océano has established a community-based network HIGGINS, B.M. 2003. Sea turtle husbandry. In: P. Lutz, J.A. Musick & to monitor and protect sea turtle nests in northern Peru. From J. Wyneken (Eds.). The Biology of Sea Turtles. Volume II. CRC Press. October to December 2011, this collaborative effort successfully Boca Raton, Florida, USA. pp. 411 – 440. protected and monitored an olive ridley nest in-situ for the first HOFFMAN, J.R., A. FONSECA & C. DREWS. 2009. Cetaceans and time ever in the country, from oviposition to hatching, and eventual Other Marine Biodiversity of the Eastern Tropical Pacific: Options for crawling of the hatchlings to sea. New potential threats to sea Adapting to Climate Change. Report from a workshop held February turtle nests in the region have also been documented, including 9-11, 2009. MINAET/WWF/EcoAdapt/CI/IFAW/TNC/WDCS/IAI/ beach flooding from adjacent shrimp farms and limited drainage PROMAR. San Jose, Costa Rica. of nesting chambers, likely produced by interference of beach KELEZ, S., X. VELEZ-ZUAZO, F. ANGULO & C. MANRIQUE. 2009. constructions (Forsberg et al. unpublished data). Olive ridley Lepidochelys olivacea nesting in Peru: the southernmost Community-based efforts, such as this Sea Turtle Conservation records in the Eastern Pacific. Marine Turtle Newsletter 126: 5-9. Network, offer valuable contributions to promote research, MANRIQUE, C., S. KELEZ & X. VELEZ-ZUAZO. 2003. Hatchlings awareness and protection of sea turtle nests in the area, and in Peru: the first headstarting experience. In: J.A. Seminoff (Ed.). Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and underline the need to further reinforce stakeholder engagement Conservation. NOAA Tech Memo NMFS-SEFSC-503. p. 99. and spatial planning for sea turtle conservation in the region. ROSALES, A., M. VERA & J. LLANOS. 2008. Varamientos y captura Acknowledgements: We acknowledge the Sunción family for their incidental de tortugas Marinas en el litoral de Tumbes, Perú. In: S. participation regarding this work and appreciate the commitment of Kelez , S., F. van Oordt, N. de Paz & K. Forsberg (Comps.). Libro “Planeta Océano/Proyecto Tortugas Marinas” local volunteers, who de Resúmenes. II Simposio de Tortugas Marinas en el Pacífico Sur benefit sea turtle conservation in north Peru through their constant efforts Oriental. Lima, Perú. p. 56-63. and enthusiasm. We are deeply grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Forsberg for their constant support and collaboration and warmly thank Jack Frazier, SEATURTLE.ORG. Maptool. 2002. SEATURTLE.ORG, Inc. http:// Randall Arauz, Jeffrey Seminoff and Nelly de Paz for their valuable www.seaturtle.org/maptool/ (Aug 10th 2009). contributions to this manuscript. We also thank Diana Monti, Ricardo SEMINOFF, J.A. 2002. IUCN Red List Global Status Assessment 2002: Fernandez, Lucho Florez, Mr. and Mrs. Casabonne, Ricardo Sanjinez, Green turtle (Chelonia mydas). Marine Turtle Specialist Group. www. Andrea Petit, Alexander Arévalo, the hotel DCO staff, and all community redlist.org. members who actively participate in our sea turtle conservation network. SEMINOFF, J.A., A. RESENDIZ, B. RESENDIZ, W.J. NICHOLS & CHALOUPKA, M., P. DUTTON & H. NAKANO. 2004. Status of sea T.T. JONES. 2008. Tortugas marinas. In: G.D. Danemann & E. Ezcurra turtle stocks in the Pacific. Papers presented at the Expert Consultation (Eds.), Bahia de los Angeles: Recursos Naturales y Comunidad. Linea on Interactions between Sea Turtles and Fisheries within an Ecosystem Base 2007. Instituto Nacional de Ecologia, Mexico. p. 457-494. Context. Rome, Italy, 9-12 March 2004. ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/ TRONCOSO FIERRO, F. & B. URBINA BURGOS. 2007. Actualización fao/007/y5750e/y5750e00.pdf, downloaded 05 August 2009. del registro de tortugas marinas para el sur de Chile. In: C. Guerra- FISCHLIN, A., G.F. MIDGLEY, J.T. PRICE, R. LEEMANS, B. GOPAL, Correa, A. Fallabrino, P. Bolados-Díaz & C. Turner (Comps.). Libro C. TURLEY, M.D.A. ROUNSEVELL, O.P. DUBE, J. TARAZONA de Resúmenes. VII Simposio Sobre Medio Ambiente. Estado Actual & A.A. VELICHKO. 2007: Ecosystems, their properties, goods, y Perspectivas de la Investigación y Conservación de las Tortugas and services. In: M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van Marinas en las Costas del Pacífico Sur Oriental. Antofagasta, Chile, p. der Linden & C.E. Hanson (Eds.). Climate Change 2007: Impacts, 41. Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the VERA, M., J. LLANOS, E. TORRES, C. ROSALES & F. VAN OORDT. Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 2008. Primer registro de anidamiento de Lepidochelys olivacea Change. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. pp. 211-272. (Eschscholtz 1829) en la playa Nueva Esperanza, Tumbes, Perú. In: FORSBERG, K. 2008. Proyecto Tortugas Marinas: Iniciativas y Esfuerzos S. Kelez, F. van Oordt, N. de Paz & K. Forsberg (comps.). Libro de para la Conservación de las Tortugas Marinas en Tumbes. In: S. Kelez, Resúmenes. II Simposio de Tortugas Marinas en el Pacífico Sur Oriental. F. van Oordt, N. de Paz & K. Forsberg (Comps.). Libro de Resúmenes. Lima, Perú. p. 101. II Simposio de Tortugas Marinas en el Pacífico Sur Oriental. Lima, WESTER, J.H., S. KELEZ & X. VELEZ-ZUAZO. In press. Expanding Perú. pp. 63-64. nesting ranges: The southernmost records of Chelonia mydas and HAYS BROWN, C. & W.M. BROWN. 1982. Status of sea turtles in Lepidochelys olivacea nesting activity in the Eastern Pacific. Proceedings the southeastern Pacific: emphasis on Peru. In: K.A. Bjorndal (Ed.). of the 32nd Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. Biology and Conservation of Sea Turtles. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. pp. 235-240.

Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 11 Evaluation of Sex Ratios of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) on the Arribada Nesting Beach, La Escobilla, Mexico

Oscar E. Hernández-Echeagaray1, Rubí Hernández-Cornejo1, Martha Harfush-Meléndez2 & Alejandra García-Gasca1 1Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo. Avenida Sábalo Cerritos s/n, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82010, Mexico (E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]); 2Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga. Kilómetro 10 carretera Puerto Ángel – San Antonio, Mazunte Santa María Tonameca, Oaxaca 70946, Mexico (E-mail: [email protected])

Six species of sea turtles nest in Mexico, four of them on the organizations, state government agencies, and research centers. Pacific coast (Chelonia mydas agassizii, Lepidochelys olivacea, Despite having protection status, sea turtles are potentially Eretmochelys imbricata, and Dermochelys coriacea), and four exposed to other environmental stressors that may affect natural species along the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean coasts populations. For instance, the temperature-dependent mechanism (Lepidochelys kempii, Eretmochelys imbricata, Chelonia mydas, of sex determination (TSD) in sea turtles makes them particularly and Caretta caretta). C. caretta is also found in feeding areas on sensitive to environmental changes. the Pacific coast (Márquez 1990, 1995). Sea turtles lack sexually dimorphic sex chromosomes and the Historically, the exploitation of sea turtles, such as fishing and differentiation of gonads into ovaries or testes depends on the egg consumption, has negatively impacted natural populations. In incubation temperature of the eggs during a critical period of 1927 the Mexican government prohibited egg consumption and embryonic development known as the thermo-sensitive period (TSP) nest destruction, and in 1986 created 17 natural reserves in order to (Pieau 1996; Wibbels 2003). The TSP has been defined as the time protect nesting beaches. During 1990 the government permanently in which the incubation temperature affects sex ratio in embryos prohibited fishing or consumption of any sea turtle species nesting (Mrosovsky & Pieau 1991), or the time required to establish an along the Mexican coast (Márquez 1995), and in 2002 all nesting irreversible molecular process that promotes sex differentiation beaches were declared Protected Natural Areas (sanctuaries). (Merchant-Larios et al. 1997). An important strategy for the recovery of sea turtle populations Generally in sea turtles, lower incubation temperatures (25- has been the installation and operation of the so-called turtle camps 28°C) produce males while higher temperatures (30-32°C) produce at several nesting beaches. There are 202 turtle camps for the six females (Wibbels 2003). The TSP occurs during the second third sea turtle species in Mexico; 28 are operated by the Ministry of of the incubation period, and in the olive ridley, male-promoting the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT); eight temperature (MPT) under controlled conditions occurs at 26 ± 0.5°C of these are located on the Gulf of Mexico, three are on the whereas female-promoting temperature (FPT) occurs at 33 ± 0.1°C Caribbean coast, and 17 exist along the Pacific coast (all camps on (Merchant-Larios et al. 1997, Torres-Maldonado & Merchant- the Pacific coast are olive ridley nesting sites). An additional 174 Larios 2006). In the field, MPT and FPT have been estimated at turtle camps are operated under agreements of nongovernmental 27.03 and 32.86°C respectively (Sandoval-Espinoza 2011). The pivotal temperature (temperature producing equal proportions of males and females) has been calculated for Mexican populations in the field at 29.95°C (Sandoval-Espinoza 2011), however it may vary from one population to another, or even within the same population. The olive ridley sea turtle (L. olivacea) was selected for the present study because it is the most abundant of the six species nesting in Mexico. Although most populations are in recovery, this species is still classified as Vulnerable on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN 2011), and as an endangered species (NOM- 059-SEMARNAT-2001) within Mexico. Its main nesting areas are located in Oaxaca, although other nesting sites are found in Jalisco, Guerrero, Colima, Michoacán, Nayarit, Sinaloa, and Baja California Sur (Fig. 1). Nesting behavior in this species presents two different strategies, 1) solitary, which is the most Figure 1. States in Mexico in which nesting beaches are located. The star common and involves 40 to 50 nesting females indicates the arribada nesting beach at La Escobilla, in the state of Oaxaca. on the beach (Márquez 1990), and 2) "arribadas," Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 12 Figure 2. Histological sections of male (A) and female (B) gonads of L. olivacea differentiated embryos and hatchlings. Medullar cords (Mc) in male gonads and a thickened cortex (Co) in female gonads were used as distinctive characteristics for sex identification. Hematoxylin-Eosin staining. Scale bar = 100 µm. characterized by a large number of females nesting synchronously on the beach (Valverde & Gates 1999). We selected the arribada nesting beach La Escobilla, located in the state of Oaxaca (Fig. 1) to estimate sex ratios of the olive ridley for several reasons: 1) it is a high-density nesting beach with more than 200,000 nests per year, 2) Figure 3. PCR amplification with oligo C6: A) RAPD-PCR; most nests are left to develop in situ, 3) there are no previous records B) MSRF-PCR; C) sodium bisulfite-treated DNA-coupled of sex ratios at this location, 4) natural mortality levels provide with RAPD-PCR. DNA was isolated from the skin from ten specimens without sacrifice, and 5) there is a genuine interest in female (left 1-10) and ten male (right 1-10) hatchlings. M monitoring sex ratios due to the potential effects of climate change. indicates the molecular weight marker (100 bp ladder from Little information is available regarding sex ratios in the olive Axygen). ridley. It has been reported that biased hatchling sex ratios are common in species with TSD (Johnston et al. 1995), however, while Lethal techniques include gonad clearing (van der Heiden et al. some variability in sex ratios is expected in natural populations, a 1985), urogenital tract morphology (Ceriani & Wyneken 2008), and sex ratio of 4:1 (females-males) may be disadvantageous because of histology, which requires the dissection of the adrenal-kidney-gonad the feminizing effect on the population, which may affect fecundity (AKG) complex to observe distinctive characteristics to identify sex, (females would lay unfertilized eggs), and therefore viability such as the thickness of the surface epithelium (cortex) in female (Márquez & Jiménez 2010). Nevertheless, multiple paternity has gonads, and the formation of medullar cords in male gonads (Fig. been documented in olive ridleys (Jensen et al. 2006); this may 2). Histology is the most accurate method for identifying sex in sea eventually attenuate this “feminizing effect.” Sandoval-Espinoza turtle hatchlings but it requires sacrifice. One purpose of this study (2011) used an indirect method (temperature of the nest) to estimate was to develop a non-lethal technique to identify sex in olive ridley hatchling sex ratios of the olive ridley on several nesting beaches hatchlings using molecular markers. from the Pacific coast of Mexico (La Escobilla was not included), Molecular methods to identify sex have been used successfully and found female-biased sex ratios in most locations at the beginning in birds and mammals (in which sex is established at fertilization by of the nesting season, and male-biased sex ratios at the end of the genes present in sex chromosomes) but not in reptile species with season. Overall hatchling sex ratios were female-biased. Thus, TSD. There is one report of a potential sex marker in sea turtles in temperature is a crucial factor for sex determination, yet global warming may affect not only sex ratios, but also reproduction and Sodium bisulfite nesting by modifying environmental conditions in foraging areas, treatment coupled prey availability, and time of migration to breeding sites (Hawkes Oligo RAPD-PCR MSRF-PCR with PCR et al. 2009; Márquez & Jiménez 2010; Mitchell & Janzen 2010; A16 1 1 0.30769231* Wapstra et al. 2009; Zhang et al. 2009). Sea turtles do not show dimorphic sexual characters until B7 1 1 0.28571429* adulthood, therefore to identify sex in hatchlings, non-lethal methods B20 1 1 0.5* have been attempted; e.g., metabolites (such as steroid hormones) C6 1 1 0.4* have been measured from chorio-allantoic fluid or blood (Xia et al. M4 1 1 0.28571429* 2011), however in some cases differences between metabolites are not significant, making it difficult to identify sex (Merchant-Larios Table 1. Genetic similarity coefficients between male and 1999). Laparoscopy has also been used (Wyneken et al. 2007) but female hatchlings using three different PCR-based strategies hatchlings must be kept in captivity until they are large enough to and five selected random primers. * indicates low genetic survive the procedure, and this is not always possible. similarity between individuals rather than genders. Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 13 Figure 4. Sex ratios of L. olivacea per group (A) and overall (B) during summer 2010 and winter 2010-2011 at La Escobilla beach, Oaxaca. Light grey represents females, dark grey represents males. E: embryos that did not hatch; Figure 5. Estimated sand temperatures from the summer H1: hatchlings that died in the nest; H2: hatchlings that died nesting season 2010 (A) and two overlapping nesting events after emergence; n: sample size. Column labels indicate during winter 2010-2011 (B) in Puerto Angel, Oaxaca, percentage of females in each case. located 25 km (15.5 miles) from La Escobilla. Incubation days are indicated from day 0 (nesting day) to the day of which a probe for the non-coding satellite DNA Bkm (banded krait hatching, the square indicates the thermosensitive period. minor) showed sex-specific bands by Southern blot in C. mydas T: mean temperatures, TM: maximum temperatures, Tm: and L. kempi (Demas et al. 1990); nevertheless these results have minimum temperatures. Pivotal temperature is around 30°C. not been reproduced to date. We developed a PCR-based strategy; DNA was isolated from the skin (and vitelline cord when possible) In all cases, DNA was amplified with 80 random primers (Operon of male and female hatchlings (previously sexed by histology). A to D kits) and four additional oligos suggested by Davies (2002) We selected these tissues because they are easy to sample and named M1 to M4. Genetic similarity was calculated according to minimally invasive. We collected dead-in-nest hatchlings (n = 20) Bártfai et al. (2003) with the following equation: GSij = 2Nij/Ni+Nj and differentiated embryos (n = 20) that died of natural causes and where GSij is the genetic similarity coefficient, Nij are the number of failed to emerge. bands present in both males and females, Ni are the number of bands

Genomic DNA of 20 males and 20 females was amplified using present in females, and Nj are the number of bands present in males. different methods: 1) by random amplification of polymorphic With these strategies we were not able to find male or female- DNA (RAPD-PCR) (Griffiths & Tiwari 1993), 2) by methylation- specific bands (see Fig. 3 showing oligo C6 as an example, and sensitive restriction fragment analysis (MSRF-PCR) using the Table 1 showing the genetic similarity coefficient of samples methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme BstUI (Davies 2002), and amplified with five selected oligos), indicating that in the olive 3) alkaline deamination with sodium bisulfite, using the EZ DNA ridley sex-specific genetic or epigenetic markers may be absent. Methylation kit (ZIMO Research) following the manufacturer’s With no molecular marker available, we used conventional histology instructions. Methods 2 and 3 were performed to determine if to identify sex in embryos and hatchlings in order to estimate sex random methylation patterns were different between males and ratios for two seasons: summer (incubation period: 30 July to 13 females. In method 2, BstUI is blocked when DNA is methylated, September 2010, n = 219) and winter (two overlapping arribadas, therefore the enzyme will cut only unmethylated DNA. In method incubation period: 25 November 2010 to 10 February 2011, n = 240). 3, unmethylated cytosines will be converted into uracil whereas Samples were divided into three groups: 1) embryos that did not methylated cytosines remain unchanged; if methylation is sex- hatch (E), 2) hatchlings that died in the nest (H1), and 3) hatchlings specific, banding patterns will be different in males and females that died after emergence (H2). Sex ratios were estimated in all five after random PCR amplification. groups (summer, winter, E, H1, and H2), and a multiple comparison Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 14 test using a χ2 (Canal-Díaz 2006) was performed to detect significant Lozano, Itzel Sifuentes-Romero, and Bruno Gómez-Gil for their valuable differences between groups. comments on this work. No statistically significant differences in sex ratios were found BÁRTFAI, R., S. EGEDI, G. HUA-YUE, B. KOVÁCS, B. URBÁNYI, between embryos and hatchlings, or between seasons (χ2 = 17.25, G. TAMÁS, L. HORVÁTH & L. ORBÁN. 2003. Genetic analysis of P = 0.06; Fig. 4A). However, slightly female-biased sex ratios were two common carp broodstocks by RAPD and microsatellite markers. observed in summer (61% females), whereas no bias was observed Aquaculture 219:157-167. in winter (51% females). The overall female ratio was 55% (Fig. CANAL-DÍAZ, N. 2006. Sociedad Española de Enfermeria Nefrológica, 4B). Our summer results are consistent with those from Sandoval- in http://www.seden.org/publicaciones_revistadet.asp?idioma=&id=12 Espinoza (2011) for L. olivacea in Mexico who used an indirect 2&Datapageid=4&intInicio=1 method (environmental and nest temperatures) to estimate sex ratios, Ceriani, S.A. & J. Wyneken. 2008. Comparative morphology and sex finding 69% females during the 2008 and 2010 nesting seasons in identification of the reproductive system in formalin preserved sea turtle specimens. Zoology 111: 179-187. Nayarit and Sinaloa respectively. As 2010 experienced a La Niña climatic event (cooler DAVIES, C.S. 2002. Methylation-sensitive restriction fingerprinting. In: temperatures), we decided to compare the temperatures recorded K.I. Mills & B.H. Ramsahoye (Eds.). DNA Methylation Protocols. Springer, New York, pp. 43-52. in the nesting seasons for 2009 and 2010, as warmer temperatures would be expected to produce an increase in females within the sex Demas, S., M. Duronslet, S. Wachtel, C. Caillouet & D. Nakamura. 1990. Sex-specific DNA in reptiles with temperature ratio. We were unable to get temperature records from La Escobilla sex determination. The Journal of Experimental Zoology 253:319-324. beach, and therefore we used the air temperature records provided by GRIFFITHS, R. & B. TIWARI. 1993. The isolation of molecular markers Tutiempo Network (http://www.tutiempo.net) from the closest beach for the identification of sex. Proceedings of the National Academy of of Puerto Ángel (located 25 km (15.5 miles) from La Escobilla). Science, USA 90: 8324-8326. We estimated sand temperatures from air temperatures using the HAWKES, L.A., A.C. BRODERICK, M.H. GODFREY & B.J. GODLEY. method of Hays et al. (2003). Summer and winter estimated mean 2009. Climate change and marine turtles. Endangered Species Research sand temperatures fluctuated around the pivotal temperature range 7: 137-154. of olive ridleys in Mexico (28-32°C and 28-31°C respectively) HAYS, G.C., A.C. BRODERICK, F. GLEN & B.J. GODLEY. 2003. during the TSP (Fig. 5). In summer 2010 (Fig. 5A), minimum Climate change and sea turtles: a 150-year reconstruction of incubation temperatures (27.26 ± 2.7°C) during the TSP were slightly above temperatures at a major marine turtle rookery. Global Change Biology the MPT, and maximum temperatures (32.96 ± 3.85°C) were close 9: 642-646. to the FPT. The estimated mean sand temperature decline from July- INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE (IUCN). September 2009 to the same period in 2010 was -1.7°C, indicating 2011. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org that 2010 was indeed cooler than 2009. In winter 2010-2011 (Fig. JENSEN, m.p., f.a. ABREU-GROBOIS, j. FRYDENBERG & v. 5B), maximum temperatures (33.83 ± 0.92°C) were above the FPT, LOESCHCKE. 1996. Microsatellites provide insight into contrasting whereas minimum temperatures (25.35 ± 0.97°C) were below the mating patterns in arribada vs. non-arribada olive ridley sea turtle MPT. The estimated mean sand temperature increment was 0.07°C rookeries. Molecular Ecology 15: 2567-2575. from November 2009 - February 2010 in comparison with the same Johnston, C.M., M. Barnett & P.T. Sharpe. 1995. The molecular period in 2010-2011. Temperature data explained (at least in part) biology of temperature-dependent sex determination. Philosophical why in Oaxaca the nesting season is longer than in other locations as Transactions: Biological Sciences 350: 297-304. sand temperature is quite stable throughout the year, so embryonic MÁRQUEZ, M.R. 1990. Sea Turtles of the World. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. development and hatching take place under favorable conditions. FAO, Rome. pp. 41-52. Nevertheless, the sex ratio was female-biased in summer 2010 MÁRQUEZ, R. 1995. Tortugas Marinas. In: W. Fischer, F. Krupp, W. despite cooler temperatures compared to 2009. This may be the Scheneider, C. Sommer, K.E. Carpenter & V.H. Niem (Eds.). Guía FAO result of temperature fluctuations during the TSP, which were close Para la Identificación de Especies Para los Fines de Pesca. Pacífico to the FPT. These results do not necessarily reflect a negative effect Centro-Oriental 3: 1653-1663. of global warming, since the overall sex ratio during the season MÁRQUEZ, R. & M.D. JIMÉNEZ. 2010. El posible efecto del cambio was slightly female-biased (55%) and, according to Márquez climático en las tortugas marinas. In: A.V. Botello, S. Villanueva, J. & Jiménez (2010) is not even close to a population-feminizing Gutierrez & J.L. Rojas-Galaviz (Eds.). Vulnerabilidad de las Zonas proportion. Nevertheless, this is only a one-year study. To obtain Costeras Mexicanas Ante el Cambio Climatico. Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Mexico. pp. 97-112. more accurate data regarding sex ratio tendency in this beach, it is necessary to sample several years [as discussed by Mrosovsky & MERCHANT-LARIOS, H. 1999. Determining hatchling sex. In: K.L. Godfrey (2010)], and to record sand temperatures during the nesting Eckert, K.A. Bjorndal, F.A. Abreu-Grobois & M. Donnelly (Eds). Research and Management Techniques for the Conservation of Sea season (planned for future studies) to create a database that will Turtles. IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group Publication No. 4. allow us to predict sex ratios through time (population modeling), Washington, DC. pp. 130-135. taking into account climatic events such as El Niño, La Niña, and MERCHANT-LARIOS, H., S. RUIZ-RAMÍREZ, N. MORENO- contemporary climate change. MENDOZA & A. MARMOLEJO-VALENCIA. 1997. Correlation among Acknowledgements: A collecting permit was obtained from the Wild thermosensitive period, estradiol response, and gonad differentiation Life Department of the Ministry of the Environment in Mexico (DGVS, in the sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea. General and Comparative SEMARNAT) to conduct this work. We would like to thank the staff from Endocrinology 107: 373-385. Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga for the help provided in sample collection, MITCHELL, N.J. & F.J. JANZEN. 2010. Temperature-dependent sex to Selene Abad-Rosales for technical assistance, to Miguel Betancourt- determination and contemporary climate change. Sexual Development Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 15 4: 129-140. van der Heiden, A.M., R. Briseño-Dueñas & D. Rios- MROSOVSKY, N. & M.H. GODFREY. 2010. Thoughts on climate change Olmeda. 1985. A simplified method for determining sex in hatchling and sex ratio of sea turtles. Marine Turtle Newsletter 128: 7-11. sea turtles. Copeia 3: 779-782. MROSOVSKY, N. & C. PIEAU. 1991. Transitional range of temperature, WAPSTRA, E., T. ULLER, D.L. SINN, M. OLSSON, K. MAZUREK, pivotal temperatures and thermosensitive stages for sex determination J. JOSS & R. SHINE. 2009. Climate effects on offspring sex ratio in a in reptiles. Amphibia-Reptilia 12: 169–179. viviparous lizard. Journal of Animal Ecology 78: 84-90. PIEAU, C. 1996. Temperature variation and sex determination in reptiles. WIBBELS, T. 2003. Critical approaches to sex determination turtles. In: BioEssays 18: 19-26. P.L. Lutz, J.A. Musick, & J. Wyneken (Eds). The Biology of Sea Turtles, Vol. 2. CRC Press Inc., Boca Raton Florida, p. 103-134. Sandoval-Espinoza, S. 2011. Proporción sexual en crías de tortuga Lepidochelys olivacea en corrales de incubación del Pacífico Mexicano. WYNEKEN, J., S.P. EPPERLY, L.B. CROWDER, J. VAUGHAN & K.B. Doctoral Thesis. Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, IPN. 80 p. ESPER. 2007. Determining sex in posthatchling loggerhead sea turtles using multiple gonadal and accessory duct characteristics. Herpetologica TORRES-MALDONADO, L.C. & H. MERCHANT-LARIOS. 2006. 63: 19-30. Aspectos moleculares de la determinación del sexo en tortugas. Ciencia Ergo Sum 13: 176-182. XIA, Z.R., P.P. LI, H.X. GU, J.J. FONG & E.M. ZHAO. 2011. Evaluating noninvasive methods of sex identification in green sea turtle (Chelonia Valverde, R.C. & C.A. Gates. 1999. Population surveys on mass mydas) hatchlings. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 10: 117-123. nesting beaches. In: K.L. Eckert, K.A. Bjorndal, F.A. Abreu-Grobois & M. Donnelly (Eds). Research and Management Techniques for the ZHANG, F., L.Z. GUO & B.R. MURRAY. 2009. Climate warming and Conservation of Sea Turtles. IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group reproduction in Chinese alligators. Animal Conservation 12: 128-137. Publication No. 4. Washington, D.C. pp. 64-69.

First Contemporary Record of Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Nesting in the United Arab Emirates

Ali Saqer Al Suweidi, Keith D.P. Wilson, Tanya Healy & Laurence Vanneyre Emirates Marine Environmental Group, P.O. Box 12399 Dubai, United Arab Emirates (E-mail: [email protected])

A large population of green turtles nest just outside of the Arabian turtle nesting activity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on a (Persian) Gulf at Ras al Hadd and Ras al Jinz, Oman (Mendonça small island belonging to the Emirate of Sharjah at Sir Bu Nair, et al. 2010), and green turtles have been recorded nesting in the also known as Sir Abu Nu’ayr. Gulf region in the past (Saudi Arabia: Miller 1989, Pilcher 2000; Sir Bu Nair is an isolated teardrop-shaped offshore island with a Kuwait: Papathanasopoulou 2009; Iran: Mobaraki 2004) but no maximum diameter of 5.3 km. It is a salt dome of high ecological contemporary records exist for green turtle nesting in the south- importance for sea turtles and nesting seabirds. It supports high eastern Gulf. Recent surveys by the Emirates Marine Environmental numbers of nesting hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata; Group (EMEG) have confirmed the infrequent occurrence of green Miller et al. 2004; EMEG unpublished data), and has been the focus of a long-term monitoring program implemented A B by the EMEG in collaboration with the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) of Sharjah and HSBC Bank. This three-year program, initiated in April 2010, was designed to obtain quantitative information about nesting turtles at the island and to develop a sound conservation and management plan. In May 2010 EMEG documented two green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nests at Sir Bu Nair Island. The nests, laid on 15 May and 26 May 2010 (possibly by the same turtle), were found in close proximity on the southern side D C of the island at about 25° 13’ 2.6” N, 54° 13’ 32.9” E.

Figure 1. Images taken of the green turtle embryos showing (clockwise from top left) A) the characteristic two, large prefrontal scales, B) four defined pairs of costal scutes, C) one pair of claws on the front flippers and D) a split posterior vertebral scute that was identified on several of the embryos in the clutch. Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 16 A random sample of eggs (n = 20) from one nest was selected Mendonça, V.M., S. Al Saady, A. Al Kiyumi & K. Erzini. for visual inspection after the hatchlings had emerged and the nest 2010. Interactions between green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and foxes contents were evaluated. The eggs were measured to determine (Vulpes vulpes arabica, V. rueppellii sabaea & V. cana) on turtle the mean diameter (x = 46.0 mm) and weighed to determine the nesting grounds in the north-western Indian Ocean: Impacts of the fox mean frozen weight (w = 50.1 g). The eggs in the second nest were community on the behaviour of nesting sea turtles at the Ras Al Hadd in an advanced state of decomposition and could not be measured turtle reserve, Oman. Zoological Studies 49: 437-452. accurately. Visual inspection of the fully developed embryos in the Miller, J.D. 1989. An assessment of the conservation status of marine eggs from these nests confirmed that both nests were laid by green turtles in Saudi Arabia. MEPA Coastal and Marine Management Series turtles (see Figs. 1A-C), primarily through counts of the prefrontal 1:1-202. scales. Embryos all had four pairs of costal scutes on the carapace Miller, J.D., A. Preen, R.A. Loughland, A.M. Youssef & and only one pair of prefrontal scales on the cranium. Several A.M. Darwish. 2004. Marine turtles and sea snakes of Abu Dhabi hatchlings had a differing number of vertebral scutes (see Fig. Emirate. In: Emirates Heritage Club (Ed.) Marine Atlas of Abu Dhabi. 1D). In comparison with the green turtle eggs that we measured, Centro Poligrafico Milano SpA, Milan, Italy, pp. 184-201. hawksbill eggs from nests laid in the Arabian Gulf region differed substantially, with diameters averaging 37.0 mm and weights MOBARAKI, A. 2004. Green Turtle Nesting on the Gulf of Oman coastline averaging 31.9 g (Pilcher 1999). of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Marine Turtle Newsletter 104: 11. EMEG was also tasked with monitoring 17 additional key PAPATHANASOPOULOU, N. 2009. Endangered sea-turtles nesting on turtle nesting islands throughout the Abu Dhabi Emirate in 2010 Kuwait Islands. Biodiversity East. www.bio-e.org/lib/endangered-sea- and found no evidence to suggest that green turtles had nested turtles-nesting-kuwait-islands elsewhere within the south-eastern Arabian Gulf during this time. PILCHER, N.J. 1999. The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the This record confirms green turtle nesting in the UAE, although we Arabian Gulf. Chelonian Conservation & Biology 3: 312-317. suggest that these are infrequent occurrences. PILCHER, N.J. 2000. The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in the Saudi Arabian Gulf. Chelonian Conservation & Biology 3: 730-734.

Historical Occurrence and Characterization of Cutaneous Fibropapillomas in the Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas, along the Southern Brazilian Coast

H.A. Rodrigues1, J.M.R. Soto1, T.Z. Serafini1 & R. Corbetta2 1Museu Oceanográfico Univali, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí, Av. Sambaqui 318, Bairro Santo Antônio, Balneário Piçarras, SC, CEP 88380-000, Brazil (E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]); 2Centro de Ciências Tecnológicas, da Terra e do Mar, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí, Rua Uruguai 458, Centro, Itajaí, SC, CEP 88302-202, Brazil (E-mail: [email protected])

The aim of this note is to establish the earliest documented record studies were concentrated along the northeastern and southeastern of the occurrence of fibropapillomatosis (FP) along the southern coasts (Baptistotte 2007), and only one record exists from southern coast of Brazil, with a physical description of the tumors, the level Brazil (Celini et al. 2003). of infection and its evolution over the years in this region. Field work for this study was conducted from January 1994 to Fibropapillomatosis is a condition characterized by the presence December 2004 on the coast of Santa Catarina (SC) and Rio Grande of cutaneous and visceral benign (but debilitating) neoplasms do Sul (RS). These are important areas for sea turtles in southern (fibropapillomas) involving both the epidermal and dermal skin Brazil; most records are from sea turtle strandings on beaches (Soto layers. This condition has been recorded in cattle, camelids, cervids, et al. 2002a,b). At Santa Catarina, between Araranguá and Passo sheep and sea turtles (Herbst 1994; Jelinek & Tachezy 2005; de Torres (45 km) in the southern region of the state, our activities McGavin & Zachary 2007; Schulman et al. 2003). In sea turtles, were focused on monitoring the beach using a vehicle. Also, we FP usually appears as multiple masses that vary from 0.1 to more accompanied artisanal fishing vessels in the central-north region, than 30 cm in diameter, and are often associated with the herpes between the localities of Penha and Itapema (~60 km), because a virus (Jacobson et al. 1991). considerable number of animals are captured in that fishery (Soto Globally, FP has affected nearly all species of marine turtles, et al. 2002a). primarily Chelonia mydas, but it has also been found in Caretta In Rio Grande do Sul, field work was focused only on the caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata and Lepidochelys olivacea (Balazs monitoring beach using a vehicle, and we divided the region into four & Pooley 1991; Baptistotte 2007; Herbst 1994) and more rarely in study areas due to logistical difficulties as well as topography and Dermochelys coriacea and Lepidochelys kempii (Burchfield et al. weather considerations (Table 1). Twenty surveys were conducted 1997; Huerta et al. 2002). In Brazil, the disease was first recorded in in RS between January 1994 and August 1997; we covered 5,913 the state of Espírito Santo in 1986 (Baptistotte 2007). Since then the km over 65 days (Table 2). Areas 1, 3, and 4 were visited 9 times number of recorded cases of FP continues to grow. However, most each (45% of the surveys), and area 2 was visited 15 times (75%

Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 17 Area Geographical reference Initial position Final position km From Rio Mampituba to 29°19’13”S 29°58’18”S Figure 1. (Above). A juvenile Chelonia mydas, 1 82 Rio Tramandaí 49°42’27”W 50°07’04”W 65.6 cm CCL, 35 kg (MOVI 16513), collected From Rio Tramandaí to 29°58’19”S 31°21’20”S in the State of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, 2 197 and infected with fibropapillomatosis. Barra da Lagoa do Peixe 50°07’05”W 51°02’13”W From Barra da Lagoa do Peixe to 31°21’21”S 32°08’15”S 3 145 Barra da Lagoa dos Patos 51°02’13”W 52°04’22”W Table 1. (Left). Study areas on the Rio Grande From Barra da Lagoa dos Patos to 32°09’25”S 33°44’22”S 4 220 do Sul coast, southern Brazil. Arroio Chuí 52°05’31”W 53°22’06”W

Survey Area Beginning Date Locality End Date Locality Km 1 2, 3 9-Jan-94 São José do Norte 13-Jan-94 Solidão, Mostardas 214 2 1, 2 16-Jul-94 Pinhal 19-Jul-94 Barra do Rio Mampituba 179 3 1, 2 26-Aug-94 Pinhal 28-Aug-94 Barra do Rio Mampituba 139 4 2 12-Nov-94 Pinhal 15-Nov-94 Barra da Lagoa do Peixe 197 5 1, 2 1-Jul-95 Farol de Mostardas 4-Jul-95 Morro dos Conventos 233 6 2 6-Sep-95 Plataforma de Tramandaí 10-Sep-95 Farol de Mostardas 170 7 3 1-Nov-95 Molhe de Rio Grande 6-Nov-95 Barra da Lagoa do Peixe 386 8 4 19-Jan-96 Molhe de Rio Grande 23-Jan-96 Hermenegildo 198 9 4 25-Jan-96 Barra do Chuí 28-Jan-96 Lagoa Mangueira 44 10 2 1-Mar-96 Plataforma de Tramandaí 3-Mar-96 São Simão, Mostardas 97 11 1, 2, 3, 4 5-Jun-96 Barra do Chuí 10-Jun-96 Barra do Rio Mampituba 390 12 1, 2, 3, 4 2-Aug-96 Barra do Rio Araranguá 6-Aug-96 Praia da Querência 528 13 3, 4 30-Aug-96 Barra do Chuí 4-Sep-96 Praia Nova, Mostardas 413 14 2, 3, 4 29-Sep-96 Barra do Chuí 2-Oct-96 Plataforma de Tramandaí 585 Table 2. (Left). Surveys 15 1, 2, 3 8-Nov-96 Molhe de S. José do Norte 10-Nov-96 Barra do Rio Mampituba 434 conducted between 16 1, 2, 3, 4 4-Dec-96 Barra do Rio Araranguá 7-Dec-96 Barra do Chuí 644 January 1994 and 17 4 17-Jan-97 Molhe de Rio Grande 22-Jan-97 Farol de Albardão 144 August 1997 on the Rio 18 1, 2, 3, 4 5-Apr-97 Hermenegildo 8-Apr-97 Torres 567 Grande do Sul coast, southern Brazil. 19 2 5-Jul-97 Plataforma de Tramandaí 6-Jul-97 Barra da Lagoa do Peixe 183 20 1, 2 15-Aug-97 São Simão 16-Aug-97 Barra do Rio Mampituba 168 Total 5913 Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 18 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Total n 5 26 20 10 6 10 11 9 9 14 9 129 SC i 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 4 % 0 0 0 10 0 0 9.1 0 0 0 22.2 3.1 n 0 6 50 10 0 0 0 2 6 6 5 85 RS i 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 4 % 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16.7 33.3 20 4.7 n 5 32 70 20 6 10 11 11 15 20 14 214 SB i 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 2 3 8 % 0 0 0 5 0 0 9.1 0 6.7 10 21.4 3.7 Table 3. Records from between 1994 and 2004, of Chelonia mydas in Santa Catarina (SC), Rio Grande do Sul (RS), and at both locations (SB) showing the number of sampled specimens (n), the total number of turtles infected (i) and the relative percentage of infection (%) per year. The absolute total is also given for both states. of the surveys). The number of surveys per month were as follows: Acknowledgements: We thank all volunteers and staff of the Museu January (n = 4), March (n = 1), April (n = 1), June (n = 2), July (n Oceanográfico Univali (MOVI) for their continued efforts in the field. = 3), August (n = 3), September (n = 2), October (n = 1), November Financial support for this research came from the Universidade do Vale (n = 2), and December (n = 1). It should also be noted that the RS do Itajaí (UNIVALI). coast was monitored in 1989, but not systematically or continuously. BALAZS, G.H. & S.G. POOLEY. 1991. Research plan for marine turtle However, no cases of FP were observed before 1994. fibropapilloma. NOAA Technical Memorandum. NMFS-SWFSC-156. Turtles found (alive or dead) were identified to species, measured 113p. and examined for the presence or absence of tumors. Complete BAPTISTOTTE, C. 2007. Caracterização espacial e temporal da skeletons and/or skulls were regularly collected and stored in fibropapilomatose em tartarugas marinhas da costa brasileira. Tese the Section of Herpetology of the Museu Oceanográfico Univali (Doutorado em Ecologia Aplicada). Universidade de São Paulo. Escola (MOVI). For each turtle, we measured the curved carapace length Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Piracicaba. 63p. (CCL) according to the method of Bjorndal & Balazs (1984). We found that at SC, four (3.1%) C. mydas out of 129 collected BJORNDAL, K.A. & G.H. BALAZS. 1984. Manual sobre tecnicas during the study period were infected with FP. These are the first de investigacion y conservacion de las tortugas marinas. Center for records of FP in the Brazilian South Region (for 1997). In RS, Environmental Education, Washington. 135p. we found four (4.7%) turtles out of 85 specimens had FP – these BURCHFIELD, P.M., L. DIERAUF, R.A. BYLES, R. MARQUEZ-M. represent the first documented records in this state (in 2002) (Table & R.G.C. MELENDEZ. 1997. Report on the Mexico/United States of 3). It is worth noting that in both states, all C. mydas sampled were America population restoration project for the Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, juveniles, with a mean size of 38.8 cm CCL and a range of 28.9 - Lepidochelys kempi, on the coasts of Tamaulipas and Veracruz, Mexico. 48.5 cm (n = 78). Other species were recorded (when encountered) U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, 58p. and no cases of FP were observed: C. caretta (SC n = 6; RS n = CELINI, A., J.M.R. SOTO & T.Z. SERAFINI. 2003. Fibropapillomatosis 100), E. imbricata (SC n = 4; RS n = 1), L. olivacea (SC n = 2; RS on green turtles, Chelonia mydas, on the southern Brazilian coast. In: n = 2), and D. coriacea (SC n = 3; RS n = 28). J.A. Seminoff (Comp.). Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Symposium All tumors that we observed were cutaneous and none were on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Tech Memo NMFS- visceral (Fig. 1). Three basic types (membranous, papillose and SEFSC-503, p. 300. mixed) were found in each of the infected specimens, but there was HERBST, L.H. 1994. Fibropapillomatosis of marine turtles. Annual Review no uniformity in the papillomas, and sizes ranged from 1 to 75 mm of Fish Diseases 4: 389-425. in diameter. The number of infected samples was considered too small to infer body areas with the highest incidence. The increase HUERTA, P., H. PINEDA, A. AGUIRRE, T. SPRAKER, L. SARTI & in the number of tumors observed ranged from zero in 1997 to A. BARRAGÁN. 2002. First confirmed case of fibropapilloma ina 9.1% in 2000, 6.7% in 2002, 10% in 2003, and 21.4% in 2004, leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). In: A. Mosier, A. Foley for both states combined. These rates are lower than the previous & B. Brost (Comps.). Proceedings of the 20th Annual Symposium incidence rates observed by Baptistotte (2007) in other regions of on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Tech Memo NMFS- the Brazilian coast: Ceará (36.9%), Rio Grande do Norte (31.4%), SEFSC-477, p.193. Sergipe (18.5%), Bahia (15.8%), Espírito Santo (27.4%), Rio de JACOBSON, E.R., C. BUERGELT, B. WILLIAMS & R.K. HARRIS. Janeiro (6.0%), and São Paulo (10.7%). 1991. Herpesvirus in cutaneous fibropapillomas of the green turtles, In conclusion, this study is important because it documents Chelonia mydas. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 12: 1-6. the first cases of FP in the southern region of Brazil. We suggest JELINEK, F. & R. TACHEZY. 2005. Cutaneous papillomatosis in cattle. continued monitoring of this disease in the region to compare future Journal of Comparative Pathology 132:70-81. incidence rates of FP to the historic baseline established here. Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 19 McGAVIN, M.D. & J. ZACHARY. Pathologic Basis of Veterinary Disease. Catarina, south Brazil. In: J.A. Seminoff (Comp.). Proceedings of the 4th Edition. Elsevier. St. Louis 2007. 22nd Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. SCHULMAN, F.Y., A.E. KRAFFT, T. JANCZEWSKI, R. REUPERT, NOAA Tech Memo NMFS-SEFSC-503, p. 275. K. JACKSON & M.M. GARNER. 2003. Camelid mucoutaneous SOTO, J.M.R., T.Z. SERAFINI & A.A.O. CELINI. 2002b. Beach strandings fibropapillomas: clinicopathologic findings and association with of sea turtles in state of Rio Grande do Sul, an indicator of gillnet papillomavirus. Veterinary Pathology 40: 103-107. interaction in southern Brazilian coast. In: In: J.A. Seminoff (Comp.). SOTO, J.M.R., T.Z. SERAFINI & A.A.O. CELINI. 2002a. Sea turtle Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and mortality by artisanal fishery in the northern coast of state of Santa Conservation. NOAA Tech Memo NMFS-SEFSC-503, p. 276.

Two Reports of Juvenile Hawksbill Sea Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) on the Southeast Coast of Guatemala

Rachel Brittain, Scott Handy & Sarah Lucas Akazul: Community, Conservation and Ecology, 34 Honiton Road, Exeter, Devon, EX1 3ED, UK (Email: [email protected])

Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are one of the rarest • Nesting occurs outside of the typical peak season of the sea turtle species within the eastern Pacific region (Cornelius 1982; economically important olive ridley season so the few hawksbill Gaos et al. 2010; Mortimer & Donnelly 2008) and published data nesting incidences are simply not being recognized or reported on present or historic levels of nesting and foraging of the species by local egg collectors remains scant. This paucity of information led to the formation of • Nests and tracks are being misidentified as those of other species the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative (ICAPO), an organization of sea turtle (see Gaos et al. 2006) established to compile information on, and promote conservation • Live hawksbills are being misidentified by coastal inhabitants of hawksbill turtles in the eastern Pacific. Akazul: Community, as another species of sea turtle, such as the eastern Pacific conservation and ecology is a UK registered not for profit green turtle. organization, working primarily with the coastal zone aspects of the Daily monitoring of the sea turtle nesting beach at La Barrona conservation of olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) and leatherback was carried out in 2005 and 2006, between the months of July and (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtles as well as monitoring the habitat December by the former Project Parlama initiative (see Brittain et of eastern Pacific green(Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill sea turtles al. 2007) and within this period there were no reports of hawksbill in the small coastal community of La Barrona, Guatemala. Akazul turtles. Since December 2010 Akazul has resumed monitoring has recently become a member of ICAPO and has been contributing activities and between July and December volunteers conduct daily information about turtles since March 2011. Although there has patrols within a 9 km area (Fig. 1) to monitor sea turtle nesting previously been a small quantity of data published on nesting and activity. Outside of this period, weekly patrols are carried out to stranding occurrences of hawksbills in Guatemala (see Gaos et al. record stranded sea turtles. Since March 2011 there have been two 2010; Higginson 1989) it is thought that there are more incidents confirmed encounters with hawksbills within Akazul’s monitoring than are currently reported. Potential reasons attributing to the lack area. of reports include:

Figure 1. A map showing the location of Akazul’s project site at La Barrona, stars indicate where the two hawksbills were encountered; the first one was close to the border of El Salvador and the second one was found within the mangrove network of the river Paz.

Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 20 Figure 2. Left: Stranded hawksbill found entangled in a nylon sack, close to the estuary of the Rio Paz, on the border with El Salvador. Right: Close-up view of burrowing barnacle S. muricata and tissue damage on the fore flipper.

On 5 March 2011 the first live juvenile hawksbill (Fig. 2) was the river Paz, close to Barra del Jioté (1.5 km east of La Barrona). found by a local egg collector stranded on the beach and entangled The river Paz, and its tributaries flow through a network of black in a large nylon rice sack, close to the border of El Salvador (Avicennia germinans) and red (Rhizophora mangle) mangroves 13°44’44”N 90°08’07”W, where there is a large tidal lagoon fringed that cover an area of approximately 2,700 ha. This area is used by by mangroves (Fig. 1). The turtle was taken to the Akazul project artisanal fishermen from the villages of La Barrona and El Jioté. field station 6 km away in the village of La Barrona. Its curved Five specimens of the barnacle C. testudinaria were present on the carapace length (CCL) was 36 cm and its curved carapace width carapace and plastron of the turtle; these were not removed, and after (CCW) was 31 cm. There were no visible injuries affecting the health a brief examination the turtle was released back into the river Paz. of the turtle, but infestations of a burrowing barnacle Stephanolepas Further Studies. Although nesting incidences of hawksbills in muricata were present on the leading edges of both fore flippers, Guatemala are rare, with between 1 and 10 nests recorded annually extending to the soft skin surrounding the shoulder region, and (Gaos et al. 2010), important nesting rookeries within the eastern causing degradation of the tissue on parts of the right front flipper Pacific have been identified in neighboring El Salvador, at Bahia (Fig. 2). Recent work suggests that penetration of S. muricata into Jiquilisco and Los Cobanos (Liles et al. 2011), and at Estero Padre the skin of the turtle does not cause infection in the host (see Frick et Ramos, Nicaragua (Gaos & Urteaga 2010). al. 2011) and no attempt was made to remove the deeply embedded Recent satellite tracking work of hawksbills tagged at six sites across barnacles. More than 50 specimens of Chelonibia testudinaria were the eastern Pacific has shown that mangrove estuaries are the main attached to the carapace of the turtle and later removed. (Barnacles habitat type used by adults (Gaos et al. 2011). were identified by M. Frick, pers. comm. 7 June, 2011). The hawksbill observations reported here suggest that Guatemala’s The turtle was maintained in freshwater for 48 hours in order to southeastern coastal waters and extensive mangrove networks may remove epibiota, cleaned with antiseptic soap and then transferred provide important foraging habitat for juveniles of the species. to a 1 m tank filled with salt water to ensure that feeding and diving Akazul is currently conducting surveys in association with ICAPO behavior was normal. A tissue sample was collected as part of an to improve estimates of the current levels of nesting activity and ongoing regional genetic assay on the species. On 9 March 2011, occurrences of hawksbills in coastal habitats along the southeast after four days in captivity, during which time the turtle was fed Guatemalan coast. These and similar studies are necessary to better shrimp and exhibited normal feeding and diving behavior, the understand hawksbill presence and distribution in the region. turtle was released from the beach at La Barrona with the help of Acknowledgements: The authors thank Tono Girón, Leonel & Gloria the local community. Hernandez for reporting both occurrences of the hawksbill turtles to Akazul On 22 April 2011 a second juvenile hawksbill turtle (see cover members. Many thanks to: ALan Rees for helpful comments, which helped photo) measuring 38.5 cm CCL and 35.5 cm CCW was incidentally improve the original manuscript, Mike Frick for identifying barnacle caught in a trasmallo (gillnet) by a local fisherman in a channel of specimens and Alex Gaos for involving Akazul in the ICAPO initiative. We

Date observed CCL (cm) CCW (cm) Longitude Latitude Method of capture Habitat type 5/3/2011 36.0 31.0 90°08’07 13°44’44 Entanglement in nylon sack Nearshore/coastal 22/04/2011 38.5 35.5 90°11’33 13°46’27 Gill net Mangrove/Estuarine Table 1. Summary of the two hawksbill encounters on the south-east coast of Guatemala including: date, curved carapace length (CCL) and width (CCW), location, method of capture and habitat type recorded by Akazul. Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 21 are extremely grateful to the community of La Barrona for their continued eastern Pacific: international collaboration reveals encouraging status support and participation in sea turtle conservation activities. Finally, the for the severely depleted population of hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys authors acknowledge use of the Maptool program for analysis and graphics imbricata. Oryx 44: 595-601. in this paper. GAOS, A.R. & J. URTEAGA. 2010. New conservation project for hawksbill BRITTAIN, R., C. MUCCIO & R. NUNNY. 2007. Project Parlama- sea turtles in turtle conservation on Guatemala's Pacific coast. Testudo 6:43-52. Estero Padre Ramos Natural Reserve, Nicaragua. Oryx 44: 321-327. CORNELIUS, S.E. 1982. Status of sea turtles along the Pacific coast of GAOS, A.R., R.L. LEWINSON, I. YAÑEZ, B.P. WALLACE, M.J. LILES, Middle America. In: K.A. Bjorndal (Ed.). Biology and Conservation of W.J. NICHOLS, A. BAQUERO, C.R. HASBÚN, M. VÁSQUEZ, J. Sea Turtles. Smithsonian Institute Press, Washington D.C. pp. 425-434. URTEAGA & J.A. SEMINOFF. 2012. Shifting the life-history paradigm: FRICK, M.G., J.D. ZARDUS, A. ROSS, J. SENKO, D. MONTANO- discovery of novel habitat use by hawksbill turtles. Biology Letters VALDEZ, M. BUCIO PACHECO & I. SOSA-CORNEJO. 2011. Novel 8:54-56. records and observations of the barnacle Stephanolepas muricata HIGGINSON, J. 1989. Sea turtles in Guatemala: threats & conservation (Cirripedia: Balanomorpha: Coronuloidea); including a case for chemical efforts. Marine Turtle Newsletter 45: 1-5. mediation in turtle and whale barnacles. Journal of Natural History 45: LILES, M.J., M.V. JANDRES, W.A. LÓPEZ, G.I. MARIONA, C.R. 629-640. HASBÚN & J.A. SEMINOFF. 2011. Hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys GAOS, A., R. ARAUZ & I. YAÑEZ. 2006. Hawksbill turtles on the Pacific imbricata in El Salvador: nesting distribution and mortality at the largest coast of Costa Rica. Marine Turtle Newsletter 112: 14. remaining nesting aggregation in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Endangered GAOS, A.R., F.A. ABREU-GROBOIS, J. ALFARO-SHIGUETO, D. Species Research 14: 23-30. AMOROCHO, R. ARAUZ, A. BAQUERO, R. BRISEÑO, D. CHACÓN, MORTIMER , J.A. & M. DONNELLY. 2008. Eretmochelys imbricata. C. DUEÑAS, M. LILES, G. MARIONA, C. MUCCIO, J.P. MUÑOZ, W.J. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.1. NICHOLS, M. PEÑA, J.A. SEMINOFF, M. VÁSQUEZ, J. URTEAGA, Available: . Downloaded 12 February 2012. B. WALLACE, I.L. YAÑEZ & P. ZÁRATE. 2010. Signs of hope in the

Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 22 PROJECT PROFILE:

Projeto Tamar's Station in Florianópolis, State of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil

Gustavo David Stahelin1, Fernando Niemeyer Fiedler1, Eron Paes e Lima2, Gilberto Sales2 & Juçara Wanderlinde1 1Fundação Pró-TAMAR, Cx. Postal 5098, Trindade, Florianópolis - SC, 88040-970 Brazil ([email protected]); 2Projeto Tamar-ICMBio, Cx. Postal 5098, Trindade, Florianópolis - SC, 88040-970 Brazil

Projeto Tamar-ICMBio (Tamar), the Brazilian sea turtle conservation imbricata, and, of them, 22 C. mydas, 3 C. caretta and 1 E. imbricata program, has been operating since 1982, first in nesting areas and were released alive, while the others did not survive. Most of the later extending its activities to coastal foraging areas with high levels treatments were related to the ingestion of marine debris (see of incidental captures of sea turtles by artisanal fisheries. Tamar has below). Small surgeries are sometimes performed to remove tumors; also maintained a range of activities related to the incidental capture samples are sent to the University of São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil) of sea turtles by open sea fisheries (Marcovaldi & Marcovaldi 1999; for histopathological analyses. Necropsies are performed on turtles Marcovaldi et al. 2006). either found dead on beaches or which died during treatment, in In April 2005, a new Tamar station (27°34'19''S, 48°25'41''W) was order to determine the cause of death. inaugurated on Barra da Lagoa Beach (Praia da Barra da Lagoa), in Information on stranded or incidentally captured sea turtles Florianópolis, the capital of the state of Santa Catarina, in southern arrives at the station mainly through phone calls by local residents, Brazil. The Santa Catarina coast is a foraging area for sea turtles; fishermen and sometimes even tourists. The station's phone number no regular nestings have been recorded there, although a small is widely advertised to local communities and also in touristic number of occasional nestings (by Caretta caretta and Dermochelys information locales. When information about a turtle is brought to coriacea) have been observed in that region (Soto et al. 1997; Soto Tamar's attention, a member of the Tamar staff immediately goes & Santos 2004). The main objective of the Florianópolis station, to the location to examine the animal and take proper action, which which is currently Tamar’s southernmost station, is to reduce the includes species identification, measuring the turtle (curved carapace number of incidental captures of sea turtles in coastal and open length and width), flipper tagging live turtles, and either releasing on sea fisheries operating in the region. However, other threats to sea the spot turtles deemed to be in good health condition or bringing turtles, such as the ingestion of anthropogenic debris, have also to the Tamar station those in need of rehabilitation. captured this station’s attention. The objective of this note is to In order to deal with sea turtle captures and strandings throughout make a short presentation of the conservation work done by the the State of Santa Catarina coast outside the station operating area, Florianópolis station. Tamar has established a network of partner institutions, which The station's operating area is located between latitudes 27°19'S includes: Environmental Protection Area of the Right Whale (APA (Palmas Beach, Governador Celso Ramos city) and 27°53'S da Baleia Franca), Marine Biological Reserve of Arvoredo, Santa (Pinheira Beach, Palhoça city). This area, with a coastline about Catarina Federal University (UFSC), Vale do Itajaí University 240 km long, includes the entire Florianópolis Island (where the (UNIVALI), Rio Grande Federal University (FURG), Joinville city of Florianópolis and the Tamar station are located) and part University (UNIVILLE), and the State of Santa Catarina Military of the continental area close to the island. The station's activities Police (PM-SC). In order to improve response to calls, staff members include: (1) the monitoring of turtles found either alive or dead in of these institutions are trained by Tamar to identify species and to the region, (2) veterinary treatment of turtles found in poor health, assess the turtle's body condition and the general health status of (3) the research of mitigation measures to reduce the impact of the animal. Turtles found alive by staff of the partner institutions for fisheries on sea turtles, (4) providing technical instruction on sea which veterinary treatment is not deemed necessary are released. turtle conservation to students and professionals working in marine When treatment is deemed necessary and the institution is not able conservation in the region, (5) environmental education of coastal to take the animal to the Tamar station, the animal is kept locally in fishing communities, and also (6) the transmission of information a safe manner, following instructions provided by phone by Tamar, on the conservation of the marine environment to schools and the until someone of the Tamar staff goes to the locale to bring the turtle general public. to the station. For turtles found dead, field data are collected by the From April 2005 to December 2009, a total of 385 stranded or partners and the animal is then buried. incidentally captured turtles, with individuals of all sea turtle species Between September 2007 and September 2008 a survey was found in Brazil (Marcovaldi & Marcovaldi 1999), were dealt with carried out by Tamar at the fishing colony of Barra da Lagoa Beach, by Tamar in Santa Catarina: 373 Chelonia mydas (curved carapace the largest fishing colony in Florianópolis (Stahelin et al. 2009). length (CCL) between 19 and 109 cm, 67% found alive), 45 C. The survey's objective was to gain some understanding on the use caretta (16–99 cm CCL, 29% alive), 8 D. coriacea (124–150 cm of gill nets and their impact on sea turtles. A questionnaire was CCL, 13% alive), 6 Eretmochelys imbricata (31–41 cm CCL, 60% administered to masters of vessels employing gill nets, asking them alive), 2 Lepidochelys olivacea (60 and 69 cm CCL, both of them about vessels and nets characteristics, fishing areas, seasonality of dead), and 14 turtles of unidentified species (28% alive). the fishery and number of fishermen involved. The questionnaire was Sea turtles found alive and in need of veterinary treatment are patterned after a set of criteria developed by Tamar to characterize taken to the Tamar station. Between April 2005 and December fisheries in ecological and operational terms and to assess their 2009, 69 turtles were treated: 63 C. mydas, 5 C. caretta and 1 E. impact on sea turtles (Marcovaldi et al. 2006). On the basis of the Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 23 answers provided by the masters, Tamar decided to monitor a few by combining direct actions, like those aimed at the reduction of gill net vessels, to obtain a better assessment of the effects of gill incidental captures in fisheries, with actions of an educational nets on sea turtles. After adequate training, some vessels' masters character, which could help people (both fishermen and the general are given a data sheet to be filled in with information on fishing public) to develop a broader ecological conscience and allow them areas, target species, net characteristics and captured turtles (number, to place the current environmental situation in the wider context of species, alive or dead at capture), and are also provided with a the society we live in. photographic camera, which makes possible the confirmation of the Acknowledgements: We thank all the fishermen and partners who have turtle's species. The data sheets are collected daily by Tamar upon collaborated with Tamar in Santa Catarina, especially the local communities the return of the vessels. This data gathering, performed voluntarily of Barra da Lagoa, Ingleses, Armação and Pântano do Sul, and also by the masters, is still being carried out. Florianópolis' Municipal Foundation for the Environment, Florianópolis' In addition to fisheries interactions, the ingestion of anthropogenic Municipal City Hall, Santa Catarina's Environment Foundation and Santa debris is also a big threat to sea turtles around Florianópolis. Plastics Catarina's Government. We thank Paulo Barata for critical reading of the and other kinds of anthropogenic debris were found in the stomachs manuscript, and two anonymous reviewers for suggestions which have of 9 out of 11 stranded C. mydas (CCL between 30 and 50 cm) improved it. Projeto Tamar, a conservation program of the Brazilian necropsied between September 2008 and July 2009 (Araújo et al. Ministry of the Environment (MMA), is affiliated with the Chico Mendes 2009). Tamar has conducted a number of actions aimed at reducing Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio/MMA), is co-managed the impact of anthropogenic marine debris on sea turtle populations. by Fundação Pró-Tamar and is officially sponsored by Petrobras. In Santa Since 2007 a clean-up day is carried out annually on Barra da Lagoa Catarina, Tamar is supported by Arcor. Beach and also in Barra da Lagoa Channel (Canal da Barra da ARAÚJO, R.M., G.O. LONGO, E.T.E. YOSHIDA & E.A.L. BARRERA. Lagoa), which serves as a harbor for fishing and recreational vessels 2009. Ingestão de lixo por Chelonia mydas na costa de Santa Catarina, sul and around which inns and summer houses are concentrated. The do Brasil. In: L. Prosdocimi & V.G. Carman (Eds.). Libro de Resúmenes. clean-up is performed in partnership with Florianópolis' Municipal IV Jornadas de Investigación y Conservación de Tortugas Marinas del Foundation for the Environment (Fundação Municipal de Meio Atlántico Sur Occidental – ASO, Mar del Plata, Argentina, pp. 112-114. Ambiente de Florianópolis) and Barra da Lagoa Neighborhood Association (Associação de Moradores da Barra da Lagoa). MARCOVALDI, M.A. & G.G. dei. MARCOVALDI. 1999. Marine turtles A visitor's center with area of about 5000 m², where environmental of Brazil: the history and structure of Projeto Tamar-IBAMA. Biological education activities are carried out, is located at the station. It hosts Conservation 91: 35-41. a permanent exhibit on sea turtle biology, fisheries that interact MARCOVALDI, M.A., G. SALES, J.C.A. THOMÉ, A.C.C.D. da SILVA, with sea turtles, the effects of anthropogenic debris on the marine B.M.G. GALLO, E.H.S.M. LIMA, E.P. LIMA & C. BELLINI. 2006. ecosystem and, in a general way, about the conservation work Sea turtles and fishery interactions in Brazil: identifying and mitigating performed by Tamar. The visitor's center also includes a video room potential conflicts. Marine Turtle Newsletter 112: 4-8. and pools with four species of sea turtles (C. mydas, C. caretta, E. SOTO, J.M.R., R.C.P BEHEREGARAY & R.A.R.P REBELLO. 1997. imbricata and L. olivacea), and real size replicas of sea turtles and Range extension: nesting by Dermochelys and Caretta in southern Brazil. marine fishes can be found there. A special program is maintained Marine Turtle Newsletter 77: 6-7. for receiving students from public and private schools (from nursery SOTO, J.M.R. & R.C.A. SANTOS. 2004. Novos registros de desova schools up to universities). Between April 2005 and December 2009 da tartaruga-de-couro Dermochelys coriacea no sul do Brasil. In: L. approximately 190,000 people visited the center, including 30,000 Prosdocimi, D. Albareda, S.R. Heredia, S. Morón & J.L. di Paola (Eds.). students from 1100 schools. Additionally, whenever requested Tamar Libro de Resúmenes. 2a. Reunión sobre Investigación y Conservación organizes exhibits with sea turtle replicas and lectures at public de Tortugas Marinas del Atlántico Sur Occidental - ASO. San Clemente events, schools and universities. An internship program is offered del Teyú, Buenos Aires, Argentina, p. 36. to students of biology, veterinary science, oceanography and related disciplines, by means of which they can gain hands-on experience STAHELIN, G.D., J. WANDERLINDE, F.N. FIEDLER & E.T.E. on sea turtle biology and conservation. YOSHIDA. 2009. Caracterização da frota de redes de emalhe sediada na The Tamar station in Florianópolis has been strengthening its praia da Barra da Lagoa, Florianópolis, SC – Brasil. In: L. Prosdocimi & relationship with fishermen, local communities and schools over the V.G. Carman (Eds.). Libro de Resúmenes. IV Jornadas de Investigación y years. It is our view that sea turtle conservation will only succeed Conservación de Tortugas Marinas del Atlántico Sur Occidental – ASO, Mar del Plata, Argentina, pp. 81-83.

Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 24 RECENT PUBLICATIONS

This section is compiled by the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research (ACCSTR), University of Florida. The ACCSTR maintains the Sea Turtle On-line Bibliography: (http://accstr.ufl.edu/biblio.html).

It is requested that a copy of all publications (including technical reports and non-refereed journal articles) be sent to both:

The ACCSTR for inclusion in both the on-line bibliography and the MTN. Address: Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research, University of Florida, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.

The editors of the Marine Turtle Newsletter to facilitate the transmission of information to colleagues submitting articles who may not have access to on-line literature reviewing services.

RECENT PAPERS Jensen Beach, FL 34958 USA. (E-mail: diverdownbelow@ hotmail.com) ALMEIDA, A.P., S.A. ECKERT, S.C. BRUNO, J.T. SCALFONI, B. GIFFONI, M. LOPEZ-MENDILHARSU & J.C.A. THOME. ARUN, V. 2011. Students' Sea Turtle Conservation Network: A 2011. Satellite-tracked movements of female Dermochelys victory for volunteerism! Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter 14: coriacea from southeastern Brazil. Endangered Species Research 21-25. Available online at www.iotn.org 15: 77-86. A. Almeida, Reserva Biol Comboios, Projeto TAMAR BALU, A. & V. ARUN. 2011. Government orders mast lights to be IBAMA, Caixa Postal 105, BR-29900970 Linhares, ES Brazil. switched off! Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter 14: 17-18. Available (E-mail: [email protected]) online at www.iotn.org AMOROCHO, D.F., F.A. ABREU-GROBOIS, P.H. DUTTON & BEHERA, S. 2011. Green Life Rural Association, Devi Coast, R.D. REINA. 2012. Multiple distant origins for green sea turtles Orissa. Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter 14: 26. Available online aggregating off Gorgona Island in the Colombian Eastern Pacific. at www.iotn.org PLoS ONE 7: e31486. R.D. Reina, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia. (E-mail: BELL, I. & D.A. PIKE. 2012. Somatic growth rates of hawksbill [email protected]) turtles Eretmochleys imbricata in a northern Great Barrier Reef foraging area. Marine Ecology Progress Series 446: 275-283. ANADON, J.D., C. D'AGROSA, A. GONDOR & L.R. GERBER. I. Bell, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook 2011. Quantifying the spatial ecology of wide-ranging marine University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia. (E-mail: ian.bell@ species in the Gulf of California: implications for marine my.jcu.edu.au) conservation planning. PLoS ONE 6: e28400. J.D. Anadon, Arizona State Univ, Sch Life Sci, Tempe, AZ 85069 USA. CAILLOUET, C.W. JR., D.J. SHAVER, A.M. JR. LANDRY, (E-mail: [email protected]) D.W. OWENS & P.C.H. PRITCHARD. 2011. Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) age at first nesting. Chelonian ANAN, Y., S. TANABE & Y. OGRA. 2011. Comparison of Conservation & Biology 10: 288-293. C.W. Caillouet, Jr., 119 selenoneine found in marine organisms with selenite in the Victoria Drive West, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA. (E-mail: interaction with mercury compounds in vitro. Journal of [email protected]) Toxicological Sciences 36: 725-731. Y. Ogra, Showa Pharmaceut Univ, Lab Chem Toxicol & Environm Health, 3-3165 Higashi CARTHY, R.R. 2012. The leatherbacks of Grande Riviere, Trinidad Tamagawagakuen, Tokyo 1948543, Japan. (E-mail: ogra@ and Tobago. Florida Environmental Outreach 3: 10-13. USGS, ac.shoyaku.ac.jp) Florida Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Univ of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. (E-mail: [email protected]) ARENDT, M.D., J.A. SCHWENTER, A.L. SEGARS, J.I. BYRD, P.P. MAIER, J.D. WHITAKER, D.W. OWENS, G. CASTELVECCHI, D. 2012. The compass within. Scientific BLANVILLAIN, J.M. QUATTRO & M.A. ROBERTS. 2012. American 306:48-53. Catch rates and demographics of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta CASTRO-GONZALEZ, M.I. & F. PEREZ-GIL ROMO. 2011. caretta) captured from the Charleston, South Carolina, shipping Chemical composition of eggs of the olive ridley Lepidochelys channel during the period of mandatory use of turtle excluder olivacea (Testudines: Cheloniidae) and its potential as a food devices (TEDs). Fishery Bulletin 110: 98-109. M.D. Arendt, source. Revista de Biologia Tropical 59: 1729-1742. M.I. Castro- Marine Resources Division, SC DNR, 217 Fort Johnson Road, Gonzalez, Inst Nacl Ciencias Med & Nutr Salvador Zubiran, Charleston, SC 29412, USA. (E-mail: [email protected]) Dept Anim Nutr, Vasco de Quiroga 15, Mexico City 14000, DF, ARPAYOGLU, I. & R.E. MARTIN. 2011. Cheloniidae (Marine Mexico. (E-mail: [email protected]) Turtles). Hatchling predation. Herpetological Review 42: 416- CORNWELL, M.L. & L.M. CAMPBELL. 2012. Co-producing 417. I. Arpayoglou, Ecological Associates Inc, P.O. Box 405, conservation and knowledge: Citizen-based sea turtle monitoring Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 25 in North Carolina, USA. Social Studies of Science 42: 101-120. Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 17: 51-63. M.M.P.B. M.L. Cornwell, Duke Univ, Levine Sci Res Ctr, Nicholas School Fuentes, James Cook Univ, ARC Ctr Excellence Coral Reef of the Environment, Durham, NC 27708 USA. (E-mail: myriah. Studies, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia. (E-mail: mariana. [email protected]) [email protected]) DERUITER, S.L. & K. LARBI DOUKARA. 2012. Loggerhead HART, K.M., M.M. LAMONT, I. FUJISAKI, A.D. TUCKER turtles dive in response to airgun sound exposure. Endangered & R.R. CARTHY. 2012. Common coastal foraging areas for Species Research 16: 55-63. S.L. DeRuiter, Biology Dept, Woods loggerheads in the Gulf of Mexico: opportunities for marine Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA. conservation. Biological Conservation 145: 185-194. K.M. (E-mail: [email protected]) Hart, US Geological Survey, Southeast Ecological Science Center, 3205 College Avenue, Davie, FL 33314, USA. (E-mail: DOW PINIAK, W.E. & K.L. ECKERT. 2011. Sea turtle nesting [email protected]) habitat in the Wider Caribbean Region. Endangered Species Research 15: 129-141. W.E. Dow Piniak, Duke University HAYASHI, R. 2012. Atlas of the barnacles on marine vertebrates Marine Lab, Nicholas School of the Environment, 135 Duke in Japanese waters including taxonomic review of superfamily Marine Lab Road, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA. (E-mail: wendy. Coronuloidea (Cirripedia: Thoracica). Journal of the Marine [email protected]) Biological Association of the United Kingdom 92: 107-127. R. Hayashi, Univ Tokyo, Atmosphere & Ocean Res Inst, Int Coastal DOW PINIAK, W.E., D.A. MANN, S.A. ECKERT & C.A. Res Ctr, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 2778564, Japan HARMS. 2012. Amphibious hearing in sea turtles. Advances (E-mail: [email protected]) in Experimental Medicine and Biology 730:83-87. W.E. Dow Piniak, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC 28516, HONARVAR, S., J.R. SPOTILA & M.P. O'CONNOR. 2011. USA. (E-mail: [email protected]) Microbial community structure in sand on two olive ridley arribada nesting beaches, Playa La Flor, Nicaragua and Playa DROSOPOULOU, E., G. TSIAMIS, M. MAVROPOULOU, Nancite, Costa Rica. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology S. VITTAS, K.A. KATSELIDIS, G. SCHOFIELD, D. and Ecology 409: 339-44. S. Honarvar, Drexel Univ, Dept Biol, PALAIOLOGOU, T. SARTSIDIS, K. BOURTZIS, J. PANTIS & Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA. (E-mail: [email protected]) Z.G. SCOURAS. 2012. The complete mitochondrial genome of the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta (Testudines: Cheloniidae): INNIS, C.J., M.L. CERESIA, C. MERIGO, E.S. III WEBER & M.G. Genome description and phylogenetic considerations. PAPICH. 2012. Single-dose pharmacokinetics of ceftazidime Mitochondrial DNA 23: 1-12. E. Drosopoulou, Aristotle Univ and fluconazole during concurrent clinical use in cold-stunned Thessaloniki, Fac Sci, Sch Biol, Dept Genet Dev & Mol Biol, Kemp's ridley turtles (Lepidochelys kempii). Journal of Veterinary GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece. (E-mail: [email protected]) Pharmacology and Therapeutics 35: 82-89. C.J. Innis, New England Aquarium, Cent Wharf, Boston, MA 02110 USA. ECHWIKHI, K., I. JRIBI, M.N. BRADAI & A. BOUAIN. 2011. (E-mail: [email protected]) Effect of bait on sea turtles bycatch rates in pelagic longlines: An overview. Amphibia-Reptilia 32: 493-502. K. Echwikhi, Natl Inst ISHIHARA, T. & N. KAMEZAKI. 2011. Size at maturity and Sea Sci & Technol, P.O. Box 1035, Sfax 3018, Tunisia. (E-mail: tail elongation of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in the [email protected]) North Pacific. Chelonian Conservation & Biology 10: 281-287. T. Ishihara, Univ Tokyo, Grad Sch Agr & Life Sci, Bunkyo FERREIRA, R.L., H.R. MARTINS, A.B. BOLTEN, M.A. Ku, Yayoi 1-1-1, Tokyo 1138657, Japan. (E-mail: ishihara@ SANTOS & K. ERZINI. 2011. Influence of environmental umigame.org) and fishery parameters on loggerhead sea turtle by-catch in the longline fishery in the Azores archipelago and implications for JAMES, N.J. 2011. Green Habitat, Guruvayur, Kerala. Indian Ocean conservation. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of Turtle Newsletter 14: 29. Available online at www.iotn.org the United Kingdom 91: 1697-1705. H.R. Martins, Univ Azores, JANSSEN, R., R.R. VAN BAAL & A.S. SCHULP. 2011. On the Dept Oceanog & Fisheries, P-990186 Horta, Azores, Portugal. taphonomy of the late Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) marine (E-mail: [email protected]) turtle Allopleuron hofmanni. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences- FITZGERALD, D.B., E. ORDWAY, S. HONARVAR & G.W. Geologie En Mijnbouw 90: 187-196. R. Janssen, Vrije Univ HEARN. 2011. Challenges confronting sea turtle conservation Amsterdam, Fac Aard Levenswetenschappen, De Boelelaan on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea . Chelonian Conservation 1085, NL-1081 HV Amsterdam, Netherlands. (E-mail: rjn600@ & Biology 10: 177-180. D.B. Fitzgerald, Drexel Univ, Dept falw.vu.nl) Biol, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA. (E-mail: KELLER, K.A., C.J. INNIS, M.E. TLUSTY, A.E. KENNEDY, [email protected]) S.B. BEAN, J.M. CAVIN & C. MERIGO. 2012. Metabolic and FRAZIER, J. 2011. Early accounts of marine turtles from India and respiratory derangements associated with death in cold-stunned neighbouring waters. Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter 14: 1-4. Kemp's ridley turtles (Lepidochelys kempii): 32 cases (2005- Available online at www.iotn.org 2009). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 240: 317-323. C.J. Innis, New England Aquarium, 1 Cent Wharf, FUENTES, M.M.P.B., M.R. FISH & J.A. MAYNARD. 2012. Boston, MA 02110 USA (E-mail: [email protected]) Management strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on sea turtle's terrestrial reproductive phase. Mitigation and LAVENDER, A.L., S.M. BARTOL & I.K. BARTOL. 2012. Hearing Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 26 capabilities of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) throughout 2012. Diet of juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) associating ontogeny. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 730: with artisanal fishing traps in a subtropical estuary in Brazil. 89-92. A.L. Lavender, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA Marine Biology 159:573-581. S.M. Nagaoka, Departamento 23529, USA. (E-mail: [email protected]) de Ocianografia e Ecologia, CCHN, Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, 29075-910 Vitoria, ES, Brazil. (E-mail: MANCINI, A., J. SENKO, R. BORQUEZ-REYES, J.G. POO, J.A. [email protected]) SEMINOFF & V. KOCH. 2011. To poach or not to poach an endangered species: elucidating the economic and social drivers NIFONG, J.C., M.G. FRICK & S.F. EASTMANN. 2011. Putative behind illegal sea turtle hunting in Baja California Sur, Mexico. predation and scavenging of two sea turtle species by the Human Ecology 39: 743-756. A. Mancini, Boomerang Earth American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, in coastal Conservat, F-92160 Antony, France. (E-mail: amancini1979@ southeastern United States. Herpetological Review 42: 511-513. gmail.com) J.C. Nifong, Dept. of Biology, P.O. Box 118525, Univ of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA. (E-mail: [email protected]) MCCLENACHAN, L., A.B. COOPER, K.E. CARPENTER & N.K. DULVY. 2012. Extinction risk and bottlenecks in the OCANA, M., M. HARFUSH-MELENDEZ & S.S. HEPPELL. conservation of charismatic marine species. Conservation Letters 2012. Mass nesting of olive ridley sea turtles Lepidochelys 5: 73-80. L. McClenachan, Simon Fraser Univ, Earth Ocean Res olivacea at La Escobilla, Mexico: linking nest density and rates of Grp, 8888 Univ Dr, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada. (E-mail: destruction. Endangered Species Research 16: 45-54. M. Ocana, [email protected]) Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. (E-mail: [email protected]) MOHANRAJ, T. 2011. Observations on the exploitation of sea turtles along the Tuticorin coast, Tamil Nadu, India. Indian Ocean PATINO-MARTINEZ, J., A. MARCO, L. QUINONES, E. ABELLA, Turtle Newsletter 14: 9-11. Available online at www.iotn.org R. MURIEL ABAD & J. DIEGUEZ-URIBEONDO. 2012. How do hatcheries influence embryonic development of sea turtle MOHANTY, B. 2011. Letter to the Minister of Environment & eggs? Experimental analysis and isolation of microorganisms in Forests, Government of India. Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter leatherback turtle eggs. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part 14: 19-20. Available online at www.iotn.org A-Ecological Genetics and Physiology 317:47-54. J. Patino- MONTE-LUNA, P. DEL, V. GUZMAN-HERNANDEZ, E.A. Martinez, CSIC, Estn Biol Donana, Dept Biodivers Conservat & CUEVAS, F. ARREGUIN-SANCHEZ & D. LLUCH-BELDA. Ethol, Av Americo Vespucio S-N, Seville 41092, Spain. (E-mail: 2012. Effect of North Atlantic climate variability on hawksbill [email protected]) turtles in the Southern Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Experimental PATINO-MARTINEZ, J., A. MARCO, L. QUINONES & L. Marine Biology and Ecology 412: 103-109. P. del Monte- HAWKES. 2012. A potential tool to mitigate the impacts of Luna, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas-IPN, climate change to the Caribbean leatherback sea turtle. Global Departamento de Pesquerias y Biologia Marina, Av. Instituto Change Biology 18: 401-411. (Address same as above) Politecnico Nacional s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita Apartado Postal 592, Codigo Postal 23096, La Paz, BCS, Mexico. (E-mail: PEGAS, F., A. COGHLAN & V. ROCHA. 2011. An exploration [email protected]) of a mini-guide programme: training local children in sea turtle conservation and ecotourism in Brazil. Journal of Ecotourism MORTIMER, J.A., R.G. VON BRANDIS, A. LILJEVIK, R. (Online Prepublication DOI:10.1080/14724049.2011.631710): CHAPMAN & J. COLLIE. 2011. Fall and rise of nesting green 1-8. A. Coghlan, International Centre for Ecotourism Research, turtles (Chelonia mydas) at Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles: Positive Griffith School of Environment, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith response to four decades of protection (1968-2008). Chelonian University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia. (E-mail: a.coghlan@ Conservation & Biology 10: 165-176. J.A. Mortimer, Seychelles griffith.edu.au) Isl Fdn SIF, Victoria, Seychelles. (E-mail: mortimer.ufl.edu) PLOT, V., B. DE THOISY, S. BLANC, L. KELLE, A. LAVERGNE, MULLER, C., K. TOWNSEND & J. MATSCHULLAT. 2012. H. ROGER-BERUBET, Y. TREMBLAY, S. FOSSETTE & J-Y. Experimental degradation of polymer shopping bags (standard GEORGES. 2012. Reproductive synchrony in a recovering and degradable plastic, and biodegradable) in the gastrointestinal bottlenecked sea turtle population. Journal of Animal Ecology fluids of sea turtles. The Science of the Total Environment 81: 341-351. V. Plot, CNRS (Centre National de Recherche 416: 464-467. J. Matschullat, Interdisciplinary Environmental Scientifique), UMR7178, 67037 Strasbourg, France. (E-mail: Research Centre, Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, [email protected]) Brennhausgasse 14, 09599 Freiberg, Saxony, Germany. (E-mail: [email protected]) PRINCE, R.I.T. & M. CHALOUPKA. 2012. Estimating demographic parameters for a critically endangered marine MURTHY, K.L.N. & K.V. RAMANA MURTHY. 2011. Mass species with frequent reproductive omission: hawksbill turtles mortality of Lepidochelys olivacea observed at Kottapeta beach nesting at Varanus Island, Western Australia. Marine Biology in Srikakulam along the east coast of Andhra Pradesh, India. 159: 355-363. R.I.T. Prince, Marine Science Programme, Science Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter 14: 15-16. Available online at Division, Dept of Environment and Conservation, Locked Bag www.iotn.org 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, WA 6983, Australia. NAGAOKA, S.M., A.S. MARTINS, R.G. DOS SANTOS, M.M.P. (E-mail: [email protected]) TOGNELLA, E.C. DE OLIVEIRA FILHO & J.A. SEMINOFF. Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 27 PROSDOCIMI, L., V. GONZALEZ CARMAN, D.A. ALBAREDA SIVAKUMAR, S., R. MANAKADAN & P. DAVID. 2011. Nesting & M.I. REMIS. 2012. Genetic composition of green turtle feeding surveys of olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) along the grounds in coastal waters of Argentina based on mitochondrial beaches of Sriharikota Island, Andhra Pradesh, India. Indian DNA. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology Ocean Turtle Newsletter 14: 12-14. Available online at www. 412: 37-45. M.I. Remis, Intendente Guraldes 2160, C1428EGA iotn.org Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina. (E-mail: mariar@ege. SOSLAU, G., J.R. SPOTILA, A. CHUN, S. YI & K.T. WEBER. fcen.uba.ar) 2011. Potentially lethal bacteria in leatherback turtle eggs in RAMOS, M.M., M.T. PIGNATI & J.C. BRITO PEZZUTI. the wild threaten both turtles and conservationists. Journal of 2011. Eretmochelys imbricata (Hawksbill Sea Turtle). Pelagic Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 410: 101-106. G. juvenile. Herpetological Review 42: 419-420. M.M. Ramos, Soslau, Drexel Univ, Coll Med, Off Profess Studies Health Sci, Fed Univ Para, Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, Lab Manejo 245 N 15th St, Philadelphia, PA 19102 USA. (E-mail: gsoslau@ Fauna Amazon, BR-66017970 Belem, Para, Brazil. (E-mail: drexelmed.edu) [email protected]) SWAMINATHAN, A., N. NAMBOOTHRI & K. SHANKER. 2011. REBELO, R., C. BARBOSA, J.P. GRANADEIRO, B. INDJAI, B. Post-tsunami status of leatherback turtles on Little Andaman NOVAIS, G.M. ROSA & P. CATRY. 2012. Can leftovers from Island. Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter 14: 5-8. Available online predators be reliably used to monitor marine turtle hatchling at www.iotn.org sex-ratios? The implications of prey selection by ghost crabs. THOMSON, J.A., M.R. HEITHAUS & L.M. DILL. 2011. Informing Marine Biology 159: 613-620. R. Rebelo, Centro de Biologia the interpretation of dive profiles using animal-borne video: a Ambiental, Dpartamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de marine turtle case study. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology Ciencias da Universidade de Lisboa, Bloco C2, Campo Grande, and Ecology 410: 12-20. J.A. Thomson, Florida Int Univ, Sch 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal. (E-mail: [email protected]) Environm Arts & Soc, Marine Sci Program, N Miami, FL 33181 RINCON-DIAZ, M.P., C.E. DIEZ, R.P. VAN DAM & A.M. USA. (E-mail: [email protected]) SABAT. 2011. Effect of food availability on the abundance TOWNSEND, K.A., J. ALTVATER, M.C. THOMAS, Q.A. of juvenile hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in SCHUYLER & G.W. NETTE. 2012. Death in the octopus' inshore aggregation areas of the Culebra Archipelago, Puerto garden: fatal blue-lined octopus envenomations of adult green sea Rico. Chelonian Conservation & Biology 10:213-221. M.P. turtles. Marine Biology 159: 689-695. K.A. Townsend, School of Rincon-Diaz, Univ Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus, Dept Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Moreton Bay Biology, P.O. Box 70377, San Juan, PR 00936 USA. (E-mail: Research Station, P.O. Box 138, Dunwich, QLD 4183, Australia. [email protected]) (E-mail: [email protected]) RODRIGUEZ-BARON, J.M., R. RIOSMENA-RODRIGUEZ, TURKOZAN, O., K. YAMAMOTO & C. YILMAZ. 2011. Nest site J.A. SEMINOFF & G. HERNANDEZ-CARMONA. 2011. preference and hatching success of green (Chelonia mydas) and Chelonia mydas agassizii (East Pacific Green Sea Turtle) Diet. loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles at Akyatan Beach, Turkey. Herpetological Review 42: 416. J.M. Rodriguez-Baron, UABCS, Chelonian Conservation & Biology 10: 270-275. O. Turkozan, Marine Bot Res Program, Dept Marine Biology, Apartado Postal Adnan Menderes Univ, Fac Sci & Arts, Dept Biol, TR-09010 19-B,Km 5-5 Carretera Sur, La Paz 23080, Mexico. (E-mail: Aydin, Turkey. (E-mail: [email protected]) [email protected]) VIEYRA, M.L. 2011. Olfactory receptor genes in terrestrial, SASSO, C.R., S.P. EPPERLY & C. JOHNSON. 2011. Annual freshwater, and sea turtles: evidence for a reduction in the number survival of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting of functional genes in aquatic species. Chelonian Conservation in peninsular Florida: a cause for concern. Herpetological & Biology 10: 181-187. M.L. Vieyra, Univ S Carolina, Dept Conservation and Biology 6: 443-448. C.R. Sasso, Natl Marine Biol & Geol, 471 Univ Pkwy, Aiken, SC 29801 USA. (E-mail: Fisheries Service, SE Fisheries Science Center, 75 Virginia Beach [email protected]) Dr, Miami, FL 33149, USA. (E-mail: [email protected]) WALCOTT, J., S. ECKERT & J.A. HORROCKS. 2012. Tracking SERIO, D., M. CATRA, D. COLLODORO & A. NISI. 2011. hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) during inter- Ceramium cormacii sp nov (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta), a new nesting intervals around Barbados. Marine Biology (Online Mediterranean species epizoic on loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta Prepublication DOI 10.1007/S00227-011-1870-9): 12 pp. J. caretta). Botanica Marina 54: 545-550. D. Serio, Univ Catania, Walcott, Dept. of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Univ of the Dept Biol Geol & Environm Sci, Via A Longo 19, I-95125 West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, St. Michael, Barbados. (E-mail: Catania, Italy. (E-mail: [email protected]) [email protected]) SIEG, A.E., C.A. BINCKLEY, B.P. WALLACE, P. SANTIDRIAN WEBER, S.B., A.C. BRODERICK, T.G.G. GROOTHUIS, TOMILLO, R.D. REINA, F.V. PALADINO & J.R. SPOTILA. J. ELLICK, B.J. GODLEY & J.D. BLOUNT. 2012. Fine- 2011. Sex ratios of leatherback turtles: hatchery translocation scale thermal adaptation in a green turtle nesting population. decreases metabolic heating and female bias. Endangered Species Proceedings of the Royal Society - Biological Sciences 279: Research 15: 195-204. A.E. Sieg, Dept of Natural Sciences, Univ 1077-1084. A.C. Broderick, Marine Turtle Research Group, of Michigan-Dearborn, 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, MI Centre for Ecology and Conservation, School of Biosciences, 48128-2406, USA. (E-mail: [email protected]) Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 28 University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 WRIGHT, L.I., K.L. STOKES, W.J. FULLER, B.J. GODLEY, A. 9EZ, UK. (E-mail: [email protected]) MCGOWAN, R. SNAPE, T. TREGENZA & A.C. BRODERICK. 2011. Turtle mating patterns buffer against disruptive effects WELICKY, R.L., J. WYNEKEN & E.G. NOONBURG. 2012. A of climate change. Proceedings of the Royal Society B retrospective analysis of sea turtle nest depredation patterns. (Published Online DOI:10.1098/Rspb.2011.2285):6 pp. A.C. Journal of Wildlife Management 76: 278-284. R.L. Welicky, Broderick, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University Arkansas State Univ, Dept Biol Sci, P.O. Box 599, State Univ, of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9EZ, UK. (E-mail: AR 72467 USA. (E-mail: [email protected]) [email protected]) WHITING, S.D. & A.U. WHITING. 2011. Predation by the YALCIN-OZDILEK, S., H.G. OZDILEK & M.K. SANGUN. 2011. saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) on sea turtle adults, Change in physical and chemical composition of green turtle eggs, and hatchlings. Chelonian Conservation & Biology 10:198- (Chelonia mydas) eggshells during embryonic development. 205. S.D. Whiting, Dept Nat Resources Environm Arts & Sport, Chelonian Conservation & Biology 10: 265-270. S. Yalcin- P.O. Box 496, Palmerston, NT 0830, Australia. (E-mail: scott. Ozdilek, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart Univ, Fac Sci & Letters, [email protected]) Dept Biology, Terzioglu Campus, TR-17020 Canakkale, Turkey. WINGFIELD, D.K., S.H. PECKHAM, D.G. FOLEY, D.M. (E-mail: [email protected]) PALACIOS, B.E. LAVANIEGOS, R. DURAZO, W.J. NICHOLS, ZHANG, F-Y., P-P. LI, H-X. GU & M-B. YE. 2011. Hematology, D.A. CROLL & S.J. BOGRAD. 2011. The making of a morphology, and ultrastructure of blood cells of juvenile olive productivity hotspot in the coastal ocean. PLoS ONE 6: e27874. ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea). Chelonian Conservation D.K. Wingfield, Univ Calif Santa Cruz, Inst Marine Sci, Santa & Biology 10: 250-256. F.Y. Zhang, Huidong Gangkou Sea Cruz, CA 95064 USA. (E-mail: [email protected]) Turtle Natl Nat Reserve Manag, Huidong, Guangdong, Peoples Republic China. (E-mail: [email protected])

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Publication of this issue was made possible by donations from the following organizations: Conservation International, International Sea Turtle Society, IUCN - Marine Turtle Specialist Group, Sirtrack Ltd., US National Marine Fisheries Service-Office of Protected Resources, Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.

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Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 29 INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS

The remit of the Marine Turtle Newsletter (MTN) is to provide Tables/Figures/Illustrations current information on marine turtle research, biology, conservation All figures should be stored as separate files: .tif or .jpeg format. and status. A wide range of material will be considered for publication The editors will scan figures, slides or photos for authors who do including editorials, articles, notes, letters and announcements. The not have access to such facilities. Tables and figures should be given aim of the MTN is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas in Arabic numerals. Photographs will be considered for inclusion. with a fast turn around to ensure that urgent matters are promptly brought to the attention of turtle biologists and conservationists References world-wide. The MTN will be published quarterly in January, April, The literature cited should include only references cited in the text. July, and October of each year. Articles, notes and editorials will be All journal titles should be given in full. Please use the following peer-reviewed. Announcements may be edited but will be included formats: in the forthcoming issue if submitted prior to the 15th of February, For an article in a journal: May, August and November respectively. All submissions should HENDRICKSON, J. 1958. The green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas be sent to the editors and not the members of the editorial board. (Linn.), in Malaya and Sarawak. Proceedings of the Royal A contact address should be given for all authors together with Zoological Society of London 130:455-535. an e-mail or fax number for correspondence regarding the article. For a book: Text MROSOVSKY, N. 1983. Conserving Sea Turtles. British To ensure a swift turnaround of articles, we ask that, where possible, Herpetological Society, London. 177pp. all submissions be in electronic format either as an attached file in For an article in an edited volume; e-mail or on compact disc in Word for Windows or saved as a text GELDIAY, R., T. KORAY & S. BALIK. 1982. Status of sea turtle file in another word-processing package. Should these formats not populations (Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas) in the northern be suitable, authors should contact the editors to seek alternative Mediterranean Sea, Turkey. In: K.A. Bjorndal (Ed.). Biology arrangements. If internet access or compatible computer facilities and Conservation of Sea Turtles. Smithsonian Institute Press, are not available, hard copies of the article can be sent to the editors Washington D.C. pp. 425-434. by mail or fax. Where there are multiple authors the initials should precede the Scientific names should be italicised and given in full in their last name except in the case of the first author: first appearance. Citations in the text should be in alphabetical BJORNDAL, K.A., A.B. BOLTEN, C.J. LAGUEUX & A. order and take the form of: (Carr et al. 1974; Hailman & Elowson CHAVES. 1996. Probability of tag loss in green turtles nesting 1992; Lagueux 1997). Please keep the number of references to at Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Journal of Herpetology 30:567-571. a minimum.

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Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 133, 2012 - Page 30