SIX-YEAR STUDY OF MORTALITY RATES, AND CAUSES OF INJURY AND ILLNESS OF SEA TURTLES IN SOUTH FLORIDA by Gabriela Lamanna A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Wilkes Honors College in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences with a concentration in Marine Biology Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University Jupiter, Florida May 2016 i
SIX-YEAR STUDY OF MORTALITY RATES, AND CAUSES OF INJURY AND ILLNESS OF SEA TURTLES IN SOUTH FLORIDA by Gabriela Lamanna This thesis was prepared under the direction of the candidate s thesis advisor, Dr. Julie L. Earles, and has been approved by the members of her/his supervisory committee. It was submitted to the faculty of The Honors College and was accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences. SUPERVISOR COMMITTEE: Dr. Jon Moore Dr. William O Brian Dean Jeffrey Buller, Wilkes Honors College Date ii
SIX-YEAR STUDY OF MORTALITY RATES, AND CAUSES OF INJURY AND ILLNESS OF SEA TURTLES IN SOUTH FLORIDA by Gabriela Lamanna ABSTRACT Author: Title: Gabriela Lamanna Six-Year Study on Mortality Rates, and Causes of Injury and Illness of Sea Turtles in South Florida Institution: Thesis Advisor: Degree: Concentration: Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University Dr. Jon Moore Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences Marine Biology Year: 2016 The Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida is devoted to the rescue and rehabilitation of injured or sick sea turtles along the east coast of South Florida. In this study, data on illnesses, injuries, and patient mortality of sea turtles brought into the Loggerhead Marinelife Center were analyzed based on patient records from 2011 to 2016. The goal of this thesis is to make an assessment of the different anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic factors that have affected sea turtles in South Florida for the past six years. In addition, this thesis aims to understand the correlation between the different types of stresses and mortality rates in patients. iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures.....v List of Tables.vi List of Appendices vii Introduction 1 Methods...7 Results 9 Discussion.17 Conclusion....22 References..23 iv
LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Photograph of the Loggerhead Marinelife Center.8 Figure 2. Location Map of the LMC..8 Figure 3. Graph of the frequency of various injuries.9 Figure 4. Total Percentage of Sea Turtles Affected by Anthropogenic vs Non Anthropogenic stresses from 2011 to 2016.... 10 Figure 5. Photograph of Roerig..13 Figure 6. Photograph of Brie......14 Figure 7. Photograph of Judy... 14 Figure 8. Photograph of Bruce.....15 Figure 9. Photograph of Shertz..15 Figure 10. Photograph of washbacks.16 Figure 11. Photograph of washbacks.16 Figure 12. Photograph of Auntie Roe. 16 v
LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Number of Sea Turtles Affected by Anthropogenic and Non-Anthropogenic Stresses Annually from 2011 to 2016...11 Table 2. Species of Sea Turtles Affected by Anthropogenic Stresses from 2011 to 2016..12 Table 3. Average number of days sea turtles spent in rehabilitation based on the type of illness.....13 vi
LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A. Tracking Statistics of Amanda, Olaf, and Elsa 25 vii
INTRODUCTION Sea turtles are important to marine ecosystems for a variety of reasons. Each species has its own impact on the habitat it lives in and on other organisms. Green sea turtles, one of the few large species of herbivores that eat seagrass, help to maintain healthy seagrass beds by increasing the productivity and nutrients of seagrass blades (Wilson et al. 2010). Their grazing causes seagrass blades to be removed from the area rather than accumulating on the bottom (Wilson et al. 2010). This results in a 15-fold decrease in the supply of nitrogen to seagrass roots, which impacts plant species, nutrient cycling, animal densities and predator-prey relations (Wilson et al. 2010). As seen in the Caribbean, the decline of the species can result in a loss of productivity in the food web including commercially exploited reef fish decreasing the amount of protein-rich food available for people (Wilson et al. 2010). The die-off of seagrass in Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico during the 1980 s has been directly linked to the ecological extinction of green turtles, showing the importance of the species on the health of seagrass beds (Wilson et al. 2010). On the other hand, hawksbill turtles impact the ecosystem differently than green turtles due to their physical characteristics. Their beak-like mouths allows them to forage on a variety of marine sponges, which alters sponge distribution in coral reef ecosystems (Wilson et al. 2010). By removing sponges from reefs, hawksbills allow other species, such as coral, to colonize and grow (Wilson et al. 2010). Without hawksbills, sponges are likely to dominate reef communities, modifying the very structure of coral reef ecosystems (Wilson et al. 2010). 1
Leatherbacks help maintain a balanced food web by playing an important role as top jellyfish predators (Wilson et al. 2010). Therefore, declines in their populations could have repercussions for jellyfish population control (Wilson et al. 2010). This represents a concern because jellyfish are gradually replacing once-abundant fish species as a result of overfishing of many finfish populations (Wilson et al. 2010). The foraging behavior of loggerheads is important for the habitat, as it benefits ocean floor ecosystems (Wilson et al. 2010). Since they are equipped with powerful jaws, they are able to feed on hard-shelled prey, such as crustaceans (Wilson et al. 2010). They reduce the shells of their prey into fragments that are either discarded on site or further away in the form of feces (Wilson et al. 2010). By doing this, they increase the rate at which the shells disintegrate and increase the rate of nutrient recycling in benthic or ocean bottom ecosystems (Wilson et al. 2010). Also, in order to find prey, loggerheads glide along the sea floor, clearing away sand and creating trails in the sediment (Wilson et al. 2010). These trails affect the compaction, aeration and nutrient distribution of the sediment, as well as the species diversity and dynamics of the benthic ecosystem (Wilson et al. 2010). These floor alterations benefit the underwater community (Wilson et al. 2010). In addition, sea turtles also benefit beach sand dunes (Wilson et al. 2010). Their eggs directly and indirectly affect the vegetation, species distribution and stability of sandy shorelines (Wilson et al. 2010). When females lay their eggs on sandy shorelines, they introduce nutrients and energy from distant and dispersed foraging grounds into relatively small and nutrient-poor beaches (Wilson et al. 2010). An impressive example 2
of this transfer of nutrients is by leatherbacks, which feed on jellyfish near the Arctic Circle and nest on tropical beaches (Wilson et al. 2010). The migration of turtles has positive impacts on the ecosystem, such as helping provide structure to marine habitats through the dispersal of epibionts (Wilson et al. 2010). The loggerhead s transatlantic migration to the Mediterranean is believed to play a key role in expanding the range and genetic diversity of barnacles, as it is estimated that at any particular time, 94 percent of nesting loggerheads host at least one species of barnacle (Wilson et al. 2010). Also, by carrying around barnacles, algae and other similar organisms, sea turtles provide a food source for fish and shrimp, while at the same time providing a habitat for these epibionts (Wilson et al. 2010). More than 100 different species have been identified on loggerhead shells, and a loss of the species as well as other sea turtle species means a decrease in available substrate for the growth and livelihood of such marine diversity (Wilson et al. 2010). Because of their widespread intentional exploitation by man in the past, sea turtle populations have experienced significant declines, and all species are currently considered either threatened with or in danger of extinction (Plotkin & Amos, 1990). There are two families and seven species (Oros et al. 2005). The family Cheloniidae comprises the green turtle Chelonia mydas, loggerhead Caretta caretta, hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricate, Kemp s ridley Lepidochelys kempii, olive ridley L. olivacea and flatback Natator depressus (Oros et al. 2005). The family Dermochelyidae comprises only the leatherback Dermochelys coriacea (Oros et al. 2005). 3
Currently, all of the five species of sea turtles found in Florida are listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the hawksbill turtle and Kemp s ridley are listed as critically endangered, the green turtle is listed as endangered, and the loggerhead and leatherback are listed as vulnerable (IUCN, 2016). In some cases, such as the case of green sea turtles in the Caribbean, species can go ecologically extinct before becoming physically extinct (Wilson et al. 2010). Ecological extinction occurs when the number of individuals in a species becomes so small that it is unable to perform its ecological role (Wilson et al. 2010). According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the observed loggerhead nest counts in Florida from 1989 to 2015 ranged from 28,074 to 59,918 nests annually; green turtle nest counts ranged from 267 to 27,975, peaking in 2015; and leatherback nest counts ranged from 27 to 641 annually from 1989 to 2015 as well (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission [Updated 2015]). One of the reasons sea turtles are particularly vulnerable and slow to recover from disturbance is that the survival of their young is low (Plotkin & Amos, 1990). In addition, some species may take from 30 to 50 years to reach sexual maturity, and breeding may only occur five times in a lifetime (Plotkin & Amos, 1990). Given the alarming declines of their populations, sea turtles are protected by various international treaties and agreements as well as national laws, e.g hawksbill turtles are listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered 4
Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), which means that international trade of this species is prohibited (IUCN, 2016). In addition to laws that provide protection, there are centers dedicated to sea turtle conservation, such as the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida. The LMC is non-profit education and ocean conservation facility located on the Atlantic coast in Palm Beach County. The facility houses a variety of exhibits, live sea turtles and other coastal creatures. Their mission is to promote conservation of ocean ecosystems with a special focus on threatened and endangered sea turtles. With the availability of a hospital and a professional team of marine biologists and veterinarians, the center is able to bring sick and injured turtles back to health, releasing them into the Atlantic Ocean by the end of their journey in rehabilitation. In this study, causes of injury and illness on sea turtles, as well as mortality rates were analyzed in an effort to help conserve the five species of sea turtle found in Florida. There are different types of stresses affecting them in the area, and they can be divided into anthropogenic (caused by human activity) or non-anthropogenic. Some of the different types of injuries include: fishing hook ingestion, fishing line entanglement, boat strike, oil contamination, cold stun, predator injury, chronic debilitated syndrome, hatchling washback, buoyancy disorder, fibropapillomatosis, dermal ulceration, coccidiosis, and respiratory infection. This study is important because reports of sea turtles ingesting and becoming entangled in marine debris and the adverse effects associated with these encounters 5
exist worldwide, but the magnitude of this problem has yet to be determined. In order to prevent the species from reaching extinction, we need to know how much each individual stress affects them. With the help of the hospital s staff, patient records from 2011 to 2016 were obtained. These records include information such as stranding date and location, species and weight of the turtle, cause of injury, time in rehabilitation, treatment given, and date of release. I quantified this data in order understand the magnitude to which anthropogenic vs non-anthropogenic stresses affect sea turtles in Florida. My study aims to: 1. Record the number of sea turtles that have been in rehabilitation in Loggerhead Marinelife Center. 2. Estimate the impact that anthropogenic and nonanthropogenic stresses have on sea turtles by recording the number of patients affected by each different type of stress. 3. Analyze the success and impact that rehabilitation has on Florida s sea turtles by recording mortality rates. Results from this study will be significant to a variety of stakeholders such as conservation groups, marine industry, and individuals in efforts to protect the sea turtles in Florida. 6
METHODS Patient records from 2011 to 2016 were obtained from the Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Data was analyzed and organized by creating different databases. First, lists that showed the name of the patient, the type of injury or illness, and the time spent in rehabilitation were created manually. Then, using Excel, I created my first database in which I divided the types of injuries and illnesses and introduced the individuals that had been affected by them. This allowed me to obtain the total number of sea turtles affected by each different type of stress, whether anthropogenic or nonanthropogenic. Consequently, I created a second database which contained the average amount of time a sea turtle spends in rehabilitation depending on the injury or illness it has. Finally, I used Excel to create graphs that showed my results. As a statistical testing method, a one proportion z test was implemented. All analyses were performed using Excel for Windows and an alpha of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Finally, I also tracked the path of three different sea turtles that were released from the LMC. These sea turtles were equipped with a tracking device before they were released. The GPS information was provided by Loggerhead Marinelife Center. facilities. All photographs were taken with a Nikon D3500 on March 12 th at the LMC 7
Figure 1. Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach, FL. Figure 2. Location map of the LMC. 8
Cause of Injury RESULTS The different types of injuries presented by turtles that visited the center from 2011 to 2016 include: 22.42% anthropogenic debris ingestion or fishing line entanglement, 8.62% boat strike, 13.23% cold stun, 4.02% predator injury, 26.44% chronic debilitated syndrome (CDS), 8.62% post hatchling washback, 8.62% buoyancy disorder, 1.15% fibropapillomatosis, 1.15% dermal ulceration, 1.72% coccidiosis, 0.57% oiled, 0.57% respiratory infection, and 2.87% were unknown causes (Fig. 3). Debris Ingestion or Entanglement Predator Injury Respiratory Infection Dermal Ulceration Coccidiosis Buoyancy Disorder Fibropapillomatosis Cold Stun CDS Post Hatchling Washback Oiled Boat Strike Other 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Affected Sea Turtles Figure 3. Graph of the frequency of various injuries. Out of 174 turtles that visited LMC in the last six years, 46 of them were in the center due to chronic debilitated syndrome (CDS), leading it to be the number one cause 9
of injury in patients during that period of time. On the other hand, out of all the anthropogenic stresses, debris ingestion caused more injuries than boat strikes and interaction with oil. Anthropogenic debris ingestion was responsible for 39 injuries. The total magnitude to which anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic causes affected sea turtles was analyzed, resulting in 31.61% and 68.39% respectively (Fig 4). 31.61% 68.39% Non-Anthropogenic Anthropogenic Figure 4. Total Percentage of Sea Turtles Affected by Anthropogenic vs Non Anthropogenic stresses from 2011 to 2016. In addition, causes of injury were divided by year, as seen in Table 1. Results showed that 2013 and 2015 were the years with more injured sea turtles in the center. The year of 2016 contains low numbers due to the fact that this study only included patients that were in the center in January and February 2016. 10
Table 1. Number of Sea Turtles Affected by Anthropogenic and Non-Anthropogenic Stresses Annually from 2011 to 2016. Year Anthropogenic Non-Anthropogenic Total 2011 15 21 36 2012 9 19 28 2013 7 37 44 2014 5 8 13 2015 17 32 49 2016 2 2 4 Total 55 119 174 Also, the species of the patients were recorded and then divided annually in order to examine which species is suffering more due to human-related causes. As Table 2 shows, green turtles are the species that have been more impacted, while leatherbacks show zero impact. This outcome might be due to the fact that leatherbacks can dive deeper and for a longer period of time than other species of sea turtle, making them less exposed to human impact. They also spend a lot of their foraging time far offshore in the cold North Atlantic off Canada during the summers and off Bermuda and parts of the Caribbean islands in the winter, so they are not near the coasts where human activity is greater. Leatherbacks come to shore to nest in Feb-Apr before the activity in Florida peaks in the summer. 11
Table 2. Species of Sea Turtles Affected by Anthropogenic Stresses from 2011 to 2016 Year Green Turtle Loggerhead Leatherback Kemp s Ridley Hawksbill Olive Ridley Total 2011 9 4 0 1 1 0 15 2012 5 4 0 0 0 0 9 2013 3 3 0 0 0 1 7 2014 1 4 0 0 0 0 5 2015 7 10 0 0 0 0 17 2016 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 Total 26 25 0 1 2 1 55 I ran a one proportion z test, where p is the proportion of turtles that are in rehab as a result of human interaction. Ho: p=0.5 Ha: p<0.5 The test resulted in a z value of -4.85, a standard error of 0.038, and a p value of 0.000062. With a significance level of 0.05, I rejected the null hypothesis (p=0.5), and concluded that rehabilitation sees significantly fewer anthropogenic causes than nonanthropogenic. In addition, it was also found that only 9 out of 174 turtles didn t survive the rehabilitation process. Out of those nine patients, 6 had chronic debilitated syndrome, 1 had ingested a fishing hook, 1 was a post-hatchling washback, and 1 had dermal 12
ulcerations. A one proportion z-test was performed, but the number of turtles that died during the last six years is low, and therefore no significance was found. Sea turtles that are successfully rehabilitated at the LMC are released back into the wild at Juno Beach. Sometimes these animals are outfitted with a satellite transmitter to follow their post-rehabilitation activities. Appendix 1 has the post-rehab tracking information for three such former patients. Some patients that were in the LMC: Figure 5. Photograph of Roerig. Roerig is a sub-adult loggerhead turtle that arrived at the LMC on December 14 th, 2015. The turtle was lethargic, underweight, had several large barnacles on its carapace and an abundant number of leeches. He was diagnosed with chronic debilitated syndrome. As a treatment, the turtle was kept in fresh water to remove any external parasites, such as leeches and leech eggs. Roerig also received fluids, antibiotics, and iron injections. He is currently still in the center, but his situation is improving. 13
Figure 6. Photograph of Brie. Brie is a subadult loggerhead turtle that arrived at the LMC on March 31 st, 2016. This turtle is chronically debilitated, lethargic, and underweight. It arrived to the center with a large amount of epibiota on its carapace. She was treated with antibiotics, iron supplements, and fluids. She is being treated with injections of vitamins, iron, and antibiotics. Figure 7. Photograph of Judy. Judy is a green sea turtle that arrived at the LMC on March 12 th, 2016 with a boat strike injury on its carapace. Her treatment includes antibiotics and a wound-vacuum system that promotes circulation and helps the injury heal faster. 14
Figure 8. Photograph of Bruce. Bruce is a sub-adult Kemps Ridley turtle that arrived at the LMC on February 26 th, 2016. The turtle has wounds on its carapace, flipper, and plastron from a shark. His treatment includes medication and cold laser therapy to speed the healing process. Figure 9. Photograph of Shertz. Shertz is a juvenile loggerhead that arrived at the LMC on January 19 th, 2015 cold stunned, and with a wound on its carapace. He was treated with cold laser therapy. 15
Figure 10 & 11. Photographs of washbacks. These are turtles that were blown back onto the beach by strong winds and storms. The turtle on the left picture is a hybrid, half loggerhead and half hawksbill, while the turtle on the right is a green turtle. Figure 12. Auntie Roe is a juvenile loggerhead that arrived at the LMC on October 15 th, 2015. The turtle has a missing piece of its carapace and only half of its right rear flipper due to shark bites. Her treatment includes fluids, antibiotics, and iron injections. 16
DISCUSSION Figure 3 shows that chronic debilitated syndrome (CDS) was the number one cause of injury in patients. Sea turtles with CDS are characteristically hypoglycemic, anemic, lethargic, and heavily encrusted with epibiota (Sloan, 2011). These turtles are characterized by emaciation and heavy burdens of external and internal parasites, and bacterial infections (Sloan, 2011). The illness weakens the turtle to the point that it floats at the water s surface, restricting the animal to an environment that predisposes it to heavy recruitment of barnacles on the carapace and soft tissue (Sloan, 2011). The period of time patients with CDS remained in rehabilitation in this study ranged from 4 to 29 months, depending on the severity of the case. With 22.42%, interaction with anthropogenic debris was the second most common cause of injury seen in patients. Fishing hook ingestion, fishing line ingestion or entanglement, and plastic ingestion in general are all included in this category. In some cases, the damage was more severe than in others. On September 2012, a sub-adult loggerhead arrived at the center with two hooks in the oral cavity, one in the stomach, and another one farther along in the intestinal tract. Despite the damage, rehabilitation of this patient was successful and he was released off Juno Beach. Studies demonstrate that both green and loggerhead sea turtles do not discriminate against plastic sheeting when they engulf food intermingled with plastic (Lutz, 1990). He also demonstrates that if the turtle s appetite is sufficient, it will actively swim towards and ingest latex 17
materials of any color, and it will continue to do until satiation (Lutz, 1990). In conclusion, a hungry turtle will swallow almost any material of a suitable size and consistency (Lutz, 1990). The concern with anthropogenic debris ingestion is that it may block the intestines, and prevent the turtle from taking any food, leading the animal to die from starvation (Lutz, 1990). In this study, patients whose injuries were caused by the interaction with anthropogenic debris remained in rehabilitation from one to 12 months. As records show, only one patient died due to fishing hook ingestion. On the other hand, entanglement in fishing lines and nets, crab and fish traps, and plastic (e.g., plastic rings from beverage containers) can cause injury and death (Phelan et al. 2006). Turtles entangled in these materials may be unable to feed and will eventually die from starvation, or may be unable to surface for air and will drown (Phelan et al. 2006). The entangling material may lacerate tissue or constrict the blood supply, resulting in the loss of a limb, or death if constriction occurs around the head or neck (Phelan et al. 2006). Boat strikes affected 8.62% of the sea turtles in this study. Direct contact with propellers may sever tissue and/or organs causing immediate death, debilitating the animal, or transmitting infection leading to a slower distressing death (Phelan et al. 2006). Debilitated turtles suffering from disease or parasites tend to spend more time at the surface, with longer resting periods and shallower dives (Phelan et al. 2006). In these instances, turtles are more exposed to boat strikes (Phelan et al. 2006). Boat type and the circumstance of the strike can be estimated, given the measurements of propeller depth, length, distance between and number of cuts to the carcass (Phelan et 18
al. 2006). This information assists in recognizing which category of boat has been most inclined to strike marine animals (Phelan et al. 2006). During the last six years, one patient at the LMC was declared incapable of surviving in the wild due to a propeller injury, and was transferred to a different facility. Patients with boat propeller injuries in the center are treated with antibiotics and cold laser therapy, which stimulates the mitochondria to normalize the production of ATP. More ATP helps their bodies repair injuries, and brings them back to a healthy condition. Sea turtles with mechanical trauma remained in the center from one to four months. Some of them presented injuries in the flippers, while others had injuries on the carapace. It was interesting to find that boat injuries were not as common in the last few years. This may be due to the efficiency of the conservation laws that regulate boat activity in Florida. On the other hand, as results show, 13.23% of the sea turtles that visited the center were there due to cold stunning. Patient records showed that 2012 was the year with the highest amount of cold stunned sea turtles. Some of these patients were rescued in Massachusetts, and were transferred to the center. The reason for this fluctuation was that in 2012, 481 cold-stunned sea turtles stranded in the northeast region of the country, making it the biggest cold stun season on record (Troy, 2013). During this event, 86% of the region s cold stunned sea turtle strandings occurred in Massachusetts (Troy, 2013). After spending spring and summer in the northeast region, sea turtles migrate south to warmer waters, as temperatures in the northeast region start dropping during fall. Unfortunately, not all turtles make the migration easily 19
(Troy, 2013). Feeding sometimes takes them into coastal waters that are surrounded by unique geological features such as Cape Cod Bay, where many of the strandings in Massachusetts happened in 2012 (Troy, 2013). If turtles stay too long in those areas and water temperatures drop suddenly, as they often do, the turtles cold stun (Troy, 2013). Cold stunned sea turtles have a decreased activity level, respiration rate, and heart rate (Campbell, 1996). In addition, their immune systems are suppressed, making them more vulnerable to infections such as pneumonia (Campbell, 1996). Affected sea turtles may stop feeding and just float at the surface, where they are more susceptible to injuries from predators and boat strikes (Campbell, 1996). They are treated in the LMC by being warmed slowly in order to not shock their system and cause further damage. They are consequently evaluated for infection, frostbite, wounds, or other issues, and provided with medication if necessary. All the patients that were cold stunned in the LMC from 2011 to 2016 remained in rehabilitation for a period of at least a month and as long as a seven months on some occasions. In 2015, one turtle arrived to the center due to oil contamination. This turtle spent 12 days in treatment. Decreased mobility, necrosis, and sloughing of tissue are some of the issues a turtle covered with oil may face (George 1997). In addition, ingestion of this material may cause the animal to suffer from toxicosis (George 1997). Treatment involves thoroughly cleaning the patient until it has no signs of oil on its body. 20
On the other hand, 4.02% of the patients were turtles that survived predator attacks in the wild. These encounters can result in damage to skin, carapace, and internal organs (Campbell 1996). Shark bites are distinguished from boat propeller injuries by the crescent shaped bite mark left on the turtle (Campbell 1996). A shark bite can break through shell, damage skin, and sever limbs (Campbell 1996). Turtles with predator injuries were in treatment for as long as 19 months. In addition, coccidiosis is a non-anthropogenic cause of injury that affected only 1.72% of the patients. This is a disease of the intestinal tract of animals caused by a protozoan (Alfaro et al. 2007). Most of these parasites develop in the epithelial cells of the gut, but a few species develop in other organs (Alfaro et al. 2007). The severity of coccidial infections depends ultimately on the number of oocysts, which are ingested and the resistance state of the host animal (Alfaro et al. 2000). External parasites can be found by performing a biopsy while internal parasites can be found through fecal samples (Alfaro et al. 2007). Finally, fibropapillomatosis was also found in low numbers in this study, with only 1.15% of the patients being affected by it. This severely debilitating disease is characterized by single to multiple tumors (ranging from 0.1 cm to greater than 30 cm in diameter) that are found commonly on areas of soft skin (flippers, neck, chin, inguinal and axillary regions, and tail base) (Campbell, 1996). These tumors can occlude vision, impede locomotion, obstruct the gastrointestinal tract, and reduce breathing capacity (Cray et al. 2001). All the turtles suffering from this disease were transferred to other 21
facilities because the Loggerhead Marinelife Center does not count with the permits to treat the illness. In conclusion, sea turtle rehabilitation in Jupiter, Florida, saw significantly more non-anthropogenic caused injuries than anthropogenic caused during the last six years. Actions must be taken to protect and restore sea turtle populations. Some actions that help sea turtle conservation include reducing sea turtle interactions and mortalities in commercial fisheries, protecting key habitat areas on land and in the water, and passing comprehensive legislation that establishes a system to protect and restore sea turtle populations. More regulations and actions are needed to reduce marine debris, such as the placement of monofilament line containers at popular fishing areas and marinas. By providing a place to recycle line and signs to encourage use, the amount of line left in the water could be reduced. 22
REFERENCES Alfaro, A., Køie, M., & Buchmann, K. (2007). Synopsis of infections in sea turtles caused by virus, bacteria and parasites: an ecological review. In Proceedings of the 27th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. February 22-27, 2007, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA. 1-30 Campbell, T.W. (1996). Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Section VII (Appendix), p.427-436. In: D.R. Mader (Editor), Reptile Medicine and Surgery. W.B. Saunder Company, Philadelphia. Cray, C., Varella, R., Bossart, G.D., Lutz, P. (2001). Altered in vitro immune responses in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomatosis. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 32(4):463-440 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) [Internet] [Updated 2015]. Index Nesting Beach Survey Totals (1989-2015). Available from http://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/nesting/beach-survey-totals/ George, R.H. (1997). Health Problems and Diseases of Sea Turtles, p.363-385. In: P.L. Lutz and J.A. Musick (Editors), The Biology of Sea Turtles. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida Lutz, P. L. (1990). Studies on the ingestion of plastic and latex by sea turtles. In Proceedings of the Workshop on the Fate and Impact of Marine Debris, Honolulu (pp. 719-735). 23
Orós, J., Torrent, A., Calabuig, P., & Déniz, S. (2005). Diseases and causes of mortality among sea turtles stranded in the Canary Islands, Spain (1998-2001). Diseases of aquatic organisms, 63(1), 13-24. Phelan, Shana M. and Karen L. (2006). Marine Turtle Trauma Response Procedures: A Field Guide. Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST) Technical Report No. 4. Beaufort, North Carolina USA. 71 pp Plotkin, P., & Amos, A. F. (1990). Effects of anthropogenic debris on sea turtles in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. In Proceedings of the second international conference on marine debris (pp. 736-743). RS Shoumura and ML Godfrey. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. (2015). Version 2015-4. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 11 April 2016. Troy, M. [Internet] (2013). Cape Cod Cold Stunning. National Marinelife Center. Available from http://nmlc.org/2013/11/cape-cod-cold-stunning/ Sloan K. (2011) Barnacle growth as an indicator of the onset and duration of the clinical symptoms of debilitated turtle syndrome affecting loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles. College of Charleston. pp. 1-68 Wilson, E.G., Miller, K.L., Allison, D., & Magliocca, D. (2010). Why healthy oceans need sea turtles: the importance of sea turtles to marine ecosystems. Oceana. (1) 1-18 24
Appendix A AMANDA S TRACKING STATISTICS Amanda is an adult loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) that was rescued by a group of divers about a mile offshore from the Lake Worth Inlet on December 28, 2014. Amanda suffered from mechanical trauma to both front flippers. The wounds were debrided each week, cleaned with betadine, and treated with cold laser therapy routinely. By April, Amanda s wounds had healed well and cold laser therapy was no longer necessary. The turtle did develop anemia so iron injections were started. Amanda responded well to the iron injections and was medically cleared for release by LMC s veterinarian. Release Date: June 11, 2015 Transmitter Type: Wildlife Computers Splash 10AF-344A Data Collected: GPS location, Water Temperature, and Behavior Information Expected Lifespan of Tag: 1 year depending on battery life 25
26 Distance From Juno Beach: (straight line distance): 221 miles Current Water Temperature: 81º F Nearest City: Sagua La Grande, Cuba Recent Coordinates: Latitude: 23.729, Longitude: - 79.976 Total Distance Traveled: 2,888 miles
OLAF S TRACKING STATISTICS Olaf is a juvenile loggerhead that was rescued at the St. Lucie Power Plant intake canal on November 11, 2014. Olaf had two deep propeller wounds on the right marginal scutes above the right front flipper. Otherwise, Olaf seemed to be in good shape and was eating well. Cold laser therapy was used to help heal the wounds on the carapace and antibiotics were administered. Release Date: 4-22-2015 Transmitter Type: Wildlife Computers SPOT5 Data Collected: Argos Location data Expected Lifespan of Tag: 1-2 years if the tag is not damaged 27
28 Distance From Juno Beach: (straight line distance): 51 miles Current Water Temperature: 82º F Nearest City: Vero Beach, Florida Recent Coordinates: Latitude: 27.596, Longitude: - 80.354 Total Distance Traveled: 277 miles
ELSA S TRACKING STATISTICS Elsa is an adult loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) that was hooked by a fisherman at the Juno Beach Pier on October 13, 2014. Arriving underweight and with a heavy barnacle load, the bloodwork revealed that Elsa was anemic and hypoglycemic. Radiographs showed that Elsa also had two fishing hooks, one in the mouth and the other father past the esophagus. The hook from Elsa s mouth was successfully removed by LMC s veterinarian and the second hook passed with no issues. Elsa was placed in freshwater for the first few days to remove any external parasites and was started on Parenteral Nutrition. After receiving antibiotics, fluids, and iron injections, Elsa gained weight and showed normal bloodwork. She was successfully released off Juno Beach on March 21, 2015. Release Date: 3-21-2015 Transmitter Type: Wildlife Computers Splash 10AF-296A Data Collected: GPS Location, Water Temperature and Behavior Information Expected Lifespan of Tag: 1 year depending on battery life 29
30 Distance From Juno Beach: (straight line distance): 814 miles Current Water Temperature: 79º F Nearest City: Campeche, Mexico Recent Coordinates: Latitude: 20.446, Longitude: - 90.766 Total Distance Traveled: 2,745 miles