The Experts below are selected from a list of 360 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Eric Gilman - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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guidelines to reduce Sea Turtle mortality in fishing operations
2009Co-Authors: Eric Gilman, G Bianchi, Claire AttwoodAbstract:Sea Turtles are affected by a range of different factors, some natural and others caused by human activities, including fishing operation. As a result, all Sea Turtles species whose conservation status has been assessed are considered to be threatened or endangered. These guidelines provide assistance for the preparation of national or multilateral fisheries management measures and industry initiatives that may help to conserve Sea Turtles by reducing the negative impacts that fisheries may have on them. They present our best understanding of how to reduce the proportion of caught Turtles that are killed as a result of interactions with marine capture fisheries. These guidelines include information about how to change fishing gear and fishing methods and how the fishing industry can adopt voluntary approaches to reduce Sea Turtle mortality.
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reducing Sea Turtle interactions in the hawaii based longline swordfish fishery
Biological Conservation, 2007Co-Authors: Eric Gilman, Paul Dalzell, Donald R Kobayashi, Tom Swenarton, Irene KinankellyAbstract:The reduction of Sea Turtle mortality in fisheries may contribute to recovering populations. To reduce Turtle interactions, regulations for the Hawaii-based longline swordfish fishery required vessels to switch from using a J-shaped hook with squid bait to a wider circle-shaped hook with fish bait. Analyses of observer data showed that, following the introduction of the regulations, significant and large reductions in Sea Turtle and shark capture rates occurred without compromising target species catches. Capture rates of leatherback and loggerhead Turtles significantly declined by 83% and 90%, respectively. The swordfish catch rate significantly increased by 16%. However, combined tuna species and combined mahimahi, opah, and wahoo catch rates significantly declined by 50% and 34%, respectively. The shark catch rate significantly declined by 36%, highlighting the potential for the use of fish instead of squid for bait to contribute to addressing concerns over the sustainability of current levels of shark exploitation. There was also a highly significant reduction in the proportion of Turtles that swallowed hooks (versus being hooked in the mouth or body or entangled) and a highly significant increase in the proportion of caught Turtles that were released after removal of all terminal tackle, which may increase the likelihood of Turtles surviving the interaction. A quarter of Turtle captures were in clusters (>1 Turtle caught per set and consecutive sets with Turtle captures), which is substantially higher than predicted by chance if the events were independent. This suggests that Turtles aggregate at foraging grounds and that instituting methods to avoid real-time Turtle bycatch hotspots may further reduce Turtle interactions. There was no significant correlation between Turtle and swordfish catch rates (vessels with high swordfish CPUE do not necessarily have high Turtle CPUE), indicating that there may be a fishing practice or gear design causing some vessels to have low Turtle catch rates without compromising swordfish catch rates.
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reducing Sea Turtle by catch in pelagic longline fisheries
Fish and Fisheries, 2006Co-Authors: Eric Gilman, Erika Zollett, Stephen Beverly, Hideki Nakano, Kimberly Davis, Daisuke Shiode, Paul Dalzell, Irene KinanAbstract:Reducingby-catchofSeaTurtlesinpelagiclonglinefisheries,inconcertwithactivitiesto reduce other anthropogenic sources of mortality, may contribute to the recovery of marine Turtle populations. Here, we review reSearch on strategies to reduce Sea Turtle by-catch. Due to the state of management regimes in most longline fisheries, strategies to reduce Turtle interactions must not only be effective but also must be commercially viable. BecausemostreSearchhasbeeninitiatedonlyrecently,manyresultsarenotyet peer-reviewed, publishedor readily accessible. Moreover, mostexperiments havesmall sample sizes and have been conducted over only a few Seasons in a small number of fisheries; many study designs preclude drawing conclusions about the independent effectofsinglefactorsonTurtleby-catchandtargetcatchrates;andfewstudiesconsider effects on other by-catch species. In the US North Atlantic longline swordfish fishery, 4.9-cm wide circle hooks with fish bait significantly reduced Sea Turtle by-catch rates and the proportion of hard-shell Turtles that swallowed hooks vs. being hooked in the mouth compared to 4.0-cm wide J hooks with squid bait without compromising commercial viability for some target species. But these large circle hooks might not be effective or economically viable in other longline fisheries. The effectiveness and commercialviabilityofaTurtleavoidancestrategymaybefishery-specific,dependingon thesizeandspeciesofTurtlesandtargetfishandotherdifferencesbetweenfleets. Testing of Turtle avoidance methods in individual fleets may therefore be necessary. It is a priority to conduct trials in longline fleets that set gear shallow, those overlapping the most threatened Turtle populations and fleets overlapping high densities of Turtles such as those fishing near breeding colonies. In addition to trials using large 4.9-cm wide circlehooksinplaceofsmallerJandJapantunahooks,otherfishingstrategiesareunder assessment. These include: (i) using small circle hooks (£ 4.6-cm narrowest width) in place of smaller J and Japan tuna hooks; (ii) setting gear below Turtle-abundant depths; (iii) single hooking fish bait vs. multiple hook threading; (iv) reducing gear soak time and retrieval during daytime; and (v) avoiding by-catch hotspots through fleet communication programmes and area and Seasonal closures.
Jennifer M. Keller - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Investigating the potential role of persistent organic pollutants in Hawaiian green Sea Turtle fibropapillomatosis.
Environmental science & technology, 2014Co-Authors: Jennifer M. Keller, Thierry M. Work, George H. Balazs, Frances Nilsen, Marc R. Rice, Brenda A. JensenAbstract:It has been hypothesized for decades that environmental pollutants may contribute to green Sea Turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP), possibly through immunosuppression leading to greater susceptibility to the herpesvirus, the putative causative agent of this tumor-forming diSease. To address this question, we measured concentrations of 164 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and halogenated phenols in 53 Hawaiian green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) plasma samples archived by the Biological and Environmental Monitoring and Archival of Sea Turtle Tissues (BEMAST) project at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Marine Environmental Specimen Bank. Four groups of Turtles were examined: free-ranging Turtles from Kiholo Bay (0% FP, Hawaii), Kailua Bay (low FP, 8%, Oahu), and Kapoho Bay (moderate FP, 38%, Hawaii) and severely tumored stranded Turtles that required euthanasia (high FP, 100%, Main Hawaiian Islands). Four classes of POPs and seven halogenated phenols were detected in at least one of the Turtles,...
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Investigating the Potential Role of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle Fibropapillomatosis
2014Co-Authors: Jennifer M. Keller, Thierry M. Work, George H. Balazs, Frances Nilsen, Marc Rice, Brenda A. JensenAbstract:It has been hypothesized for decades that environmental pollutants may contribute to green Sea Turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP), possibly through immunosuppression leading to greater susceptibility to the herpesvirus, the putative causative agent of this tumor-forming diSease. To address this question, we measured concentrations of 164 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and halogenated phenols in 53 Hawaiian green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) plasma samples archived by the Biological and Environmental Monitoring and Archival of Sea Turtle Tissues (BEMAST) project at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Marine Environmental Specimen Bank. Four groups of Turtles were examined: free-ranging Turtles from Kiholo Bay (0% FP, Hawaii), Kailua Bay (low FP, 8%, Oahu), and Kapoho Bay (moderate FP, 38%, Hawaii) and severely tumored stranded Turtles that required euthanasia (high FP, 100%, Main Hawaiian Islands). Four classes of POPs and seven halogenated phenols were detected in at least one of the Turtles, and concentrations were low (often
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forty seven days of decay does not change persistent organic pollutant levels in loggerhead Sea Turtle eggs
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2013Co-Authors: Jennifer M. KellerAbstract:Reptile and bird eggs are priority samples for specimen banking programs that assess spatial and temporal trends of environmental contaminants. From endangered species, such as Sea Turtles, nonlethal sampling is required (e.g., unhatched eggs collected postemergence). Previous contaminant monitoring studies have used unhatched Sea Turtle eggs, but no study has tested whether their concentrations represent levels found in fresh eggs (e.g., eggs collected within 24 h of oviposition). The author analyzed three fresh eggs from different nest depths and up to three unhatched eggs from 10 loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) nests in South Carolina, USA, for a suite of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Lipid-normalized POP concentrations were not significantly different (p > 0.05) between fresh and unhatched eggs or among different depths from the same nest. The POP concentrations in loggerhead eggs from South Carolina were higher than previously measured concentrations in eggs from Florida and slightly lower than concentrations in eggs from North Carolina. This pattern agrees with previously observed trends of increasing POP concentrations in loggerhead Turtles inhabiting northern latitudes along the U.S. East Coast. Contaminant profiles are discussed, including a higher chlorinated pattern of polychlorinated biphenyls possibly associated with a Superfund site in nearby Brunswick, Georgia, USA, and unusual polybrominated diphenylether patterns seen in this and previous Sea Turtle studies. Concentrations correlated with one of eight measurements of reproductive success; levels were negatively correlated with egg mass (p < 0.05), which may have implications for hatchling fitness. The present study suggests that unhatched eggs can be used for POP-monitoring projects. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2013;32:747–756. © 2013 SETAC
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loggerhead Sea Turtle caretta caretta egg yolk concentrations of persistent organic pollutants and lipid increase during the last stage of embryonic development
Science of The Total Environment, 2006Co-Authors: Juan Jose Alava, Jennifer M. Keller, Larry B Crowder, Jeanette Wyneken, John R Kucklick, Geoffrey I ScottAbstract:Data are scarce describing the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides in Sea Turtle eggs. The purpose of this study was to establish appropriate sample collection methodology to monitor these contaminants in Sea Turtle eggs. Contaminant concentrations were measured in yolk samples from eggs that failed to hatch from three loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) nests collected in southern Florida to determine if concentrations change through embryonic development. One to three egg yolk samples per nest were analyzed from early, middle, and late developmental stages (n=22 eggs total). PCB and pesticide concentrations were determined by gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Geometric mean concentrations of summation operatorPCBs (52 congeners), summation operatorDDTs, summation operatorchlordanes, and dieldrin in all eggs were 65.0 (range=7.11 to 3930 ng/g lipid), 67.1 (range=7.88 to 1340 ng/g lipid), 37.0 (range=4.04 to 685 ng/g lipid), and 11.1 ng/g lipid (range=1.69 to 44.0 ng/g lipid), respectively. Early and middle developmental stage samples had similar concentrations of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides on a wet-mass basis (ng/g tissue extracted), but the concentrations doubled by the late stage. This increase is most likely attributable to the 50% increase in lipid content observed in the late-stage yolk. These findings indicate that an early-stage sample cannot be directly compared to a late-stage sample, especially from different nests. These preliminary findings also allowed us to calculate the minimum number of eggs per nest required for analysis to obtain an acceptable mean concentration per nest. More reSearch is required to investigate geographical trends of contaminant concentrations and potential health effects (i.e., abnormalities) caused by these contaminants on Sea Turtle development.
Elliott R Jacobson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Vet Pathol 38:464–467 (2001) Multicentric Lymphoblastic Lymphoma in a Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
2016Co-Authors: A. Torrent, P. Calabuig, A. Espinosa, De Los Monteros, S. Tucker, Elliott R JacobsonAbstract:Abstract. A juvenile female loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) stranded in Gran Canaria was submitted for necropsy. The Turtle had exhibited anorexia and lethargy for 2 weeks prior to its death. At necropsy, the thymus was enlarged by two white and firm nodules. White nodules similar to those in thymus were observed in the plastron, thyroid gland, heart, aorta, left lung, spleen, liver, kidneys, stomach, and small intestine. His-topathology revealed a neoplastic proliferation of round cells identified as lymphoid cells. Ultrastructurally, the neoplastic cells were consistent with lymphoblastic cells, and viruses were not detected. The diagnosis was multicentric lymphoblastic lymphoma. This is the first report of a lymphoid neoplasm in a Sea Turtle. Key words: Caretta caretta; lymphoblastic lymphoma; neoplasia; reptiles; Sea Turtles. Descriptions of neoplasia in reptiles are uncommon in comparison to prevalences reported for mammals and birds.7 Except for fibropapillomatosis, neoplastic diSease is very in-frequently seen in Sea Turtles. Within the class Reptilia, lym-phoid neoplasias are more frequently found in snakes,1,8 al-though there are also descriptions in lizards,1,11,12,14 crocodil-ians,13 and terrestrial chelonians.3,4,6,10 Here, we describe th
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Disseminated Mycotic Infection Caused by Colletotrichum acutatum in a Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempi)
Journal of clinical microbiology, 2002Co-Authors: Charles A. Manire, Howard L. Rhinehart, Deanna A. Sutton, Elizabeth H. Thompson, Michael G. Rinaldi, John D. Buck, Elliott R JacobsonAbstract:Colletotrichum acutatum is a cosmopolitan plant pathogen with a wide host range. While the organism's phytopathogenic potential has been well documented, it has never been reported as an etiologic agent of diSease in either animals or humans. In this case, a juvenile Kemp's ridley Sea Turtle, Lepidochelys kempi, probably with immune compromise following cold stunning (extended hypothermia), developed a disseminated mycotic infection in the lungs and kidneys. Prophylactic treatment with oral itraconazole did not prevent or cure the infection. This report of a Colletotrichum acutatum infection in an animal extends the range of diSease caused by this organism beyond that of a phytopathogen.
Larry B Crowder - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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cumulative estimates of Sea Turtle bycatch and mortality in usa fisheries between 1990 and 2007
Biological Conservation, 2011Co-Authors: Elena M Finkbeiner, Bryan P. Wallace, Jeffrey E Moore, Rebecca L Lewison, Larry B Crowder, Andrew J ReadAbstract:Sea Turtles interact with a variety of fishing gears across their broad geographic distributions and onto- genetic habitat shifts. Cumulative assessments of multi-gear bycatch impacts on Sea Turtle populations are critical for coherent fisheries bycatch management, but such estimates are difficult to achieve, due to low fisheries observer effort, and a single-species, single-fishery management focus. We compiled the first cumulative estimates of Sea Turtle bycatch across fisheries of the United States between 1990 and 2007, before and after implementation of fisheries-specific bycatch mitigation measures. An annual mean of 346,500 Turtle interactions was estimated to result in 71,000 annual deaths prior to establish- ment of bycatch mitigation measures in US fisheries. Current bycatch estimates (since implementation of mitigation measures) are 60% lower (137,800 interactions) and mortality estimates are 94% lower (4600 deaths) than pre-regulation estimates. The Southeast/Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Trawl fishery accounts for the overwhelming majority of Sea Turtle bycatch (up to 98%) in US fisheries, but estimates of bycatch in this fishery are fraught with high uncertainty due to lack of observer coverage. Our esti- mates represent minimum annual interactions and mortality because our methods were conservative and we could not analyze unobserved fisheries potentially interacting with Sea Turtles. Although consid- erable progress has been made in reducing Sea Turtle bycatch in US fisheries, management still needs improvement. We suggest that Sea Turtle bycatch limits be set across US fisheries, using an approach sim- ilar to the Potential Biological Removal algorithm mandated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
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loggerhead Sea Turtle caretta caretta egg yolk concentrations of persistent organic pollutants and lipid increase during the last stage of embryonic development
Science of The Total Environment, 2006Co-Authors: Juan Jose Alava, Jennifer M. Keller, Larry B Crowder, Jeanette Wyneken, John R Kucklick, Geoffrey I ScottAbstract:Data are scarce describing the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides in Sea Turtle eggs. The purpose of this study was to establish appropriate sample collection methodology to monitor these contaminants in Sea Turtle eggs. Contaminant concentrations were measured in yolk samples from eggs that failed to hatch from three loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) nests collected in southern Florida to determine if concentrations change through embryonic development. One to three egg yolk samples per nest were analyzed from early, middle, and late developmental stages (n=22 eggs total). PCB and pesticide concentrations were determined by gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Geometric mean concentrations of summation operatorPCBs (52 congeners), summation operatorDDTs, summation operatorchlordanes, and dieldrin in all eggs were 65.0 (range=7.11 to 3930 ng/g lipid), 67.1 (range=7.88 to 1340 ng/g lipid), 37.0 (range=4.04 to 685 ng/g lipid), and 11.1 ng/g lipid (range=1.69 to 44.0 ng/g lipid), respectively. Early and middle developmental stage samples had similar concentrations of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides on a wet-mass basis (ng/g tissue extracted), but the concentrations doubled by the late stage. This increase is most likely attributable to the 50% increase in lipid content observed in the late-stage yolk. These findings indicate that an early-stage sample cannot be directly compared to a late-stage sample, especially from different nests. These preliminary findings also allowed us to calculate the minimum number of eggs per nest required for analysis to obtain an acceptable mean concentration per nest. More reSearch is required to investigate geographical trends of contaminant concentrations and potential health effects (i.e., abnormalities) caused by these contaminants on Sea Turtle development.
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interpreting the spatio temporal patterns of Sea Turtle strandings going with the flow
Biological Conservation, 2006Co-Authors: Kristen M Hart, Peter Mooreside, Larry B CrowderAbstract:Knowledge of the spatial and temporal distribution of specific mortality sources is crucial for management of species that are vulnerable to human interactions. Beachcast carcasses represent an unknown fraction of at-Sea mortalities. While a variety of physical (e.g., water temperature) and biological (e.g., decomposition) factors as well as the distribution of animals and their mortality sources likely affect the probability of carcass stranding, physical oceanography plays a major role in where and when carcasses strand. Here, we evaluate the influence of nearshore physical oceanographic and wind regimes on Sea Turtle strandings to decipher Seasonal trends and make qualitative predictions about stranding patterns along oceanfront beaches. We use results from oceanic drift-bottle experiments to check our predictions and provide an upper limit on stranding proportions. We compare predicted current regimes from a 3D physical oceanographic model to spatial and temporal locations of both Sea Turtle carcass strandings and drift bottle landfalls. Drift bottle return rates suggest an upper limit for the proportion of Sea Turtle carcasses that strand (about 20%). In the South Atlantic Bight, Seasonal development of along-shelf flow coincides with increased numbers of strandings of both Turtles and drift bottles in late spring and early summer. The model also predicts net offshore flow of surface waters during winter – the Season with the fewest relative strandings. The drift bottle data provide a reasonable upper bound on how likely carcasses are to reach land from points offshore and bound the general timeframe for stranding post-mortem (< two weeks). Our findings suggest that marine Turtle strandings follow a Seasonal regime predictable from physical oceanography and mimicked by drift bottle experiments. Managers can use these findings to reevaluate incidental strandings limits and fishery takes for both nearshore and offshore mortality sources.
Charles A. Manire - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Discovery of a Novel Single-Stranded DNA Virus from a Sea Turtle Fibropapilloma by Using Viral Metagenomics
Journal of Virology, 2008Co-Authors: Terry Fei Fan Ng, Kelly Borrowman, Tammy Langer, Llewellyn M. Ehrhart, Charles A. Manire, Mya BreitbartAbstract:Viral metagenomics, consisting of viral particle purification and shotgun sequencing, is a powerful technique for discovering viruses associated with diSeases with no definitive etiology, viruses that share limited homology with known viruses, or viruses that are not culturable. Here we used viral metagenomics to examine viruses associated with Sea Turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP), a debilitating neoplastic diSease affecting Sea Turtles worldwide. By means of purifying and shotgun sequencing the viral community directly from the fibropapilloma of a Florida green Sea Turtle, a novel single-stranded DNA virus, Sea Turtle tornovirus 1 (STTV1), was discovered. The single-stranded, circular genome of STTV1 was approximately 1,800 nucleotides in length. STTV1 has only weak amino acid level identities (25%) to chicken anemia virus in short regions of its genome; hence, STTV1 may represent the first member of a novel virus family. A total of 35 healthy Turtles and 27 Turtles with FP were tested for STTV1 using PCR, and only 2 Turtles severely afflicted with FP were positive. The affected Turtles were systemically infected with STTV1, since STTV1 was found in blood and all major organs. STTV1 exists as a quasispecies, with several genome variants identified in the fibropapilloma of each positive Turtle, suggesting rapid evolution of this virus. The STTV1 variants were identical over the majority of their genomes but contained a hypervariable region with extensive divergence. This study demonstrates the potential of viral metagenomics for discovering novel viruses directly from animal tissue, which can enhance our understanding of viral evolution and diversity.
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Disseminated Mycotic Infection Caused by Colletotrichum acutatum in a Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempi)
Journal of clinical microbiology, 2002Co-Authors: Charles A. Manire, Howard L. Rhinehart, Deanna A. Sutton, Elizabeth H. Thompson, Michael G. Rinaldi, John D. Buck, Elliott R JacobsonAbstract:Colletotrichum acutatum is a cosmopolitan plant pathogen with a wide host range. While the organism's phytopathogenic potential has been well documented, it has never been reported as an etiologic agent of diSease in either animals or humans. In this case, a juvenile Kemp's ridley Sea Turtle, Lepidochelys kempi, probably with immune compromise following cold stunning (extended hypothermia), developed a disseminated mycotic infection in the lungs and kidneys. Prophylactic treatment with oral itraconazole did not prevent or cure the infection. This report of a Colletotrichum acutatum infection in an animal extends the range of diSease caused by this organism beyond that of a phytopathogen.
