High Pivotal Temperature in the Sex Determination of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea, from Playa Nancite, Costa Rica

Marine mammals such as whales and dolphins have been known for a long time to host a very specific epizoic community on their skin. Less known however is the presence of a similar community on the carapaces of sea turtles. The present study is the first describing new taxa inhabiting sea turtle carapaces. Samples, collected from nesting olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) on Ostional Beach (Costa Rica), were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. Two unknown small-celled gomphonemoid taxa were analysed in more detail and are described as two new genera, closely related to other gomphonemoid genera with septate girdle bands, such as Tripterion, Cuneolus and Gomphoseptatum. Chelonicola Majewska, De Stefano & Van de Vijver gen. nov. has a flat valve face, uniseriate striae composed of more than three areolae, simple external raphe endings, internally a siliceous flap over the proximal raphe endings and lives on mucilaginous stalks. Poulinea Majewska, De Stefano & Van de Vijver gen. nov. has at least one concave valve, uniseriate striae composed of only two elongated areolae, external distal raphe endings covered by thickened siliceous flaps and lives attached to the substrate by a mucilaginous pad. Chelonicola costaricensis Majewska, De Stefano & Van de Vijver sp. nov. and Poulinea lepidochelicola Majewska, De Stefano & Van de Vijver sp. nov. can be separated based on stria structure, girdle structure composed of more than 10 copulae, raphe structure and general valve outline. A cladistics analysis of putative members of the Rhoicospheniaceae indicates that the family is polyphyletic. Chelonicola and Poulinea are sister taxa, and form a monophyletic group with Cuneolus and Tripterion, but are not closely related to Rhoicosphenia, or other genera previously assigned to this family. Features used to help diagnose the family such as symmetry and presence of septa and pseudosepta are homoplastic across the raphid diatom tree of life.

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First field observation of the predation by Jaguar (Panthera onca) on Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) at Nancite Beach, Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica

Mammalogy Notes ◽

10.47603/manovol3n1.20-23 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 20-23

Author(s):

Sergio Escobar-Lasso ◽

Luis Fonseca ◽

Wilbert N. Villachica ◽

Hansel Herrera ◽

Roldán A. Valverde ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Sea Turtles ◽

Chelonia Mydas ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Dermochelys Coriacea ◽

Olive Ridley ◽

Eretmochelys Imbricata ◽

Lepidochelys Olivacea ◽

Santa Rosa National Park ◽

Key Resources

Jaguars have been recorded preying on adult female sea turtles on their nesting beaches in Costa Rica, Guyana, Mexico and Suriname (Fretey 1977, Autar 1994, Cuevas et al. 2014, Guildera et al. 2015). Jaguars prey on Green (Chelonia mydas), Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtles (see Fretey 1977, Autar 1994, Carrillo et al. 1994, Chinchilla 1997, Tröeng 2000, Heithaus et al. 2008, Veríssimo et al. 2012, Arroyo-Arce et al. 2014, Cuevas et al. 2014, Arroyo-Arce & Salom-Pérez 2015, Guildera et al. 2015). The capture effort and risk of injury associated with the predation of nesting sea turtles is expected to be lower relative to other prey species in the jaguar’s diet (Cavalcanti & Gese 2010). Additionally, they can be key resources when other pr ey availability is low (Veríssimo et al. 2012).

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Spatiotemporal Expression of Foxl2 and Dmrt1 before, during, and after Sex Determination in the Sea Turtle Lepidochelys olivacea

Sexual Development ◽

10.1159/000507838 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (5-6) ◽

pp. 286-296

Author(s):

Verónica Díaz-Hernández ◽

Paloma Dominguez-Mora ◽

Luis Chino-Palomo ◽

Alejandro Marmolejo-Valencia ◽

Martha Harfush ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Determination ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Sexually Dimorphic ◽

Cell Nuclei ◽

Temperature Dependent ◽

Olive Ridley ◽

Lepidochelys Olivacea ◽

Spatiotemporal Expression ◽

Dimorphic Expression ◽

Medullary Cords

The sex of sea turtles is determined by temperature during egg incubation. Thus, climate change affects the sex ratio, exacerbating their vulnerability to extinction. Understanding spatiotemporal effects of temperature on sex determination at the gonadal level may facilitate the design of strategies to mitigate the effects of global warming. Here, we used qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence to analyze the spatiotemporal expression of Dmrt1 and Foxl2 in developing gonads of Lepidochelys olivacea incubated at male-producing temperature (MPT, 26°C) or female-producing temperature (FPT, 33°C). Although both transcription factors are expressed in bipotential gonads up to stage 25, the timing of their sexually dimorphic regulation differs. Whereas the dimorphic expression of Dmrt1 protein initiates at stage 24, Foxl2 protein was expressed specifically in females at stage 25. Interestingly, whereas Dmrt1 colocalizes with Sox9 in cell nuclei of primary medullary cords to form the testis cords, Foxl2 protein is first detected in Sox9-negative cells of primary medullary cords, prior to its substantial expression in the ovarian cortex. Thus, results suggest that the temperature-dependent regulation of sexual pathways is stochastic among the cells of primary medullary cords in undifferentiated bipotential gonads of the olive ridley.

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Some digenetic trematodes of the olive ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea (Testudines, Cheloniidae) in Costa Rica

Helminthologia ◽

10.2478/s11687-006-0052-7 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

pp. 25-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

M. Santoro ◽

J. Morales

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Urinary Bladder ◽

Pacific Coast ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Histopathological Changes ◽

Olive Ridley ◽

Lepidochelys Olivacea ◽

Digenetic Trematodes ◽

The Pacific

AbstractThree species of digeneans including 1 Gorgoderidae (Plesiochorus cymbiformis) from the urinary bladder, 1 Plagiorchiidae (Enodiotrema megachondrus) from the duodenum, and 1 Pachypsolidae (Pachypsolus irroratus) from the stomach were recovered from 2 of 3 olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) found stranded along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. All trematodes represent new locality records. Histopathological changes associated with eggs of cardiovascular flukes (Digenea, Spirorchiidae) were described from the lungs, spleen, and intestine of a single turtle.

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Microbial Isolations from Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) and East Pacific Green (Chelonia mydas agassizii) Sea Turtle Nests in Pacific Costa Rica, and Testing of Cloacal Fluid Antimicrobial Properties

Chelonian Conservation and Biology ◽

10.2744/ccb-1051.1 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 49-55 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Erin Keene ◽

Tanya Soule ◽

Frank Paladino

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Antimicrobial Properties ◽

Chelonia Mydas ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Olive Ridley ◽

Lepidochelys Olivacea ◽

East Pacific ◽

Chelonia Mydas Agassizii

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Sea turtles support sustainable livelihoods at Ostional, Costa Rica

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605317001855 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

pp. 81-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mallika Sardeshpande ◽

Douglas MacMillan

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Local Community ◽

Sustainable Livelihoods ◽

Household Survey ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Environmental Conservation ◽

Current Status ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Olive Ridley ◽

Nesting Site

AbstractOstional in Costa Rica is the second largest nesting site of the olive ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea, which is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. In Ostional the local community helps maintain the nesting site and collects olive ridley eggs for consumption and trade within Costa Rica. Since its inception in 1987 the egg harvesting project has integrated sea turtle conservation with community development. We assessed the current status of this project in terms of community awareness, dependency, involvement and perceptions, using a household survey and semi-structured interviews with key informants. We also compared some of our findings with those of previous studies at the site, finding that the project has fewer dependents, primary livelihood activities have shifted towards tourism and hospitality, and respondents are more aware about environmental conservation and stewardship. We map outcomes of the project with the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, and suggest that further capacity building for research and tourism could contribute towards sustaining the turtle population, local livelihoods, and the community-based conservation institution.

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Successful rehabilitation of an oiled sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) affected by the biggest oil spill disaster in Brazil

Veterinární Medicína ◽

10.17221/81/2020-vetmed ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

REM Oliveira ◽

FLN Attademo ◽

JS Galvincio ◽

ACB Freire ◽

AS Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oil Spills ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Entire Body ◽

Normal Range ◽

Olive Ridley ◽

Lepidochelys Olivacea ◽

Second Stage ◽

Therapeutic Protocol ◽

Mucous Membranes ◽

Therapeutic Procedures

The standardisation of protocols and discussion of therapeutic procedures in the rehabilitation of turtles affected by oil spills are necessary to optimise the recovery time and increase the chances of survival of these animals. This study aimed at reporting the processes adopted for the stabilisation, decontamination, rehabilitation and release of an oiled olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), rescued alive on September 23, 2019, at Santa Rita Beach, Extremoz municipality, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Its entire body was covered by oil. At first, the animal was mechanically dry cleaned using a gauze soaked in mineral oil in the keratinised regions (carapace and plastron) and a gauze soaked in vegetable oil was used on the oral, nasal, ocular, and cloacal mucous membranes. The second stage of the oil removal consisted of washing the animal with heated pressurised water (39 °C) and a neutral detergent using a soft foam sponge. The animal received treatment with antitoxins, antibiotics, analgesics, gastrointestinal protectors, and fluid therapy. After 7 days of treatment, the blood count showed that all the parameters were within the normal range. The oil cleaning process and the therapeutic protocol used in the rehabilitation of the olive ridley sea turtle were efficient.

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Expression of aromatase in the embryonic brain of the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), and the effect of bisphenol-A in sexually differentiated embryos

The International Journal of Developmental Biology ◽

10.1387/ijdb.140192ag ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 58 (10-11-12) ◽

pp. 733-741 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Patsy Gómez-Picos ◽

Itzel Sifuentes-Romero ◽

Horacio Merchant-Larios ◽

Rubí Hernández-Cornejo ◽

Verónica Díaz-Hernández ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bisphenol A ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Embryonic Brain ◽

Olive Ridley ◽

Lepidochelys Olivacea

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Study on the etiology of fibropapillomatosis of olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) nesting in the National Wildlife Refuge at Ostional, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Revista Ciencias Marinas y Costeras ◽

10.15359/revmar.5.8 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 119 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Laura Brenes Chaves ◽

Alexis Berrocal ◽

Ana I. Meneses ◽

Carlos Jiménez Sánchez ◽

Carlos M. Orrego Vásquez

Keyword(s):

Sea Turtles ◽

Cytoplasmic Inclusion ◽

Blood Chemistry ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Olive Ridley ◽

Blood Samples ◽

Lepidochelys Olivacea ◽

Wildlife Refuge ◽

Para Determinar ◽

Olive Ridley Sea Turtles

Sea turtle fibropapillomatosis is an emerging disease characterized by a proliferation of cutaneous papillomas, fibromas, and fibropapillomas and occasional visceral fibromas. This paper aims to contribute tothe etiology of fibropapillomatosis in olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) nesting in OstionalNational Wildlife Refuge. Twenty six olive ridley turtles with cutaneous fibropapilloma were sampled and24 healthy olive ridley turtles served as controls. Biopsies were taken of the cutaneous tumors in sick seaturtles, as well as skin biopsies from control subjects, and blood samples were collected from all turtles.Tumorous samples and skin samples were microscopically analyzed in order to differentiate the histologicalfactors resulting from the disease pathogenesis, where the main histological findings were papillaryepidermal hyperplasia, orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis, spirorchid-like eggs in the dermis, and eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion. Hematology and blood chemistry studies were conducted on blood samples, andMCHC, heterophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, AST, total protein, albumin and globulin values were significantlydifferent between healthy turtles and turtles with tumors. A PCR test was also conducted in thesamples to determine the presence of herpesvirus and papillomavirus as possible etiologic agents, wherethe papilomavirus was absent in all the samples, while the herpesvirus was present in 69.23% of the tumors,this being the most probable etiological agent of fibropapillomatosis.La fibropapilomatosis de la tortuga marina es una enfermedad emergente caracterizada por múltiples papilomas, fibromas y fibropapilomas cutáneos, así como ocasionales fibromas viscerales. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo contribuir a la etiología de la fibropapilomatosis en la tortuga lora (Lepidochelys olivacea) que anida en el Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional. Se muestrearon 26 tortugas lora con fibropapilomas cutáneos y 24 tortugas lora sanas que sirvieron de control. Se tomaron biopsias excisionales de los tumores cutáneos de las tortugas enfermas y biopsias de piel de las tortugas control, además se recolectaron muestras de sangre de todas las tortugas. Las muestras tumorales y de piel se analizaron microscópicamente para diferenciar los factores histológicos que resultan de la patogénesis de la enfermedad, donde los hallazgos histopatológicos principales en los fibropapilomas fueron: crecimiento papiliforme, hiperqueratosis ortoqueratótica, huevos de parásitos similares a espiróquidos en la capa dérmica e inclusión eosinofílica citoplasmática. A las muestras de sangre se les realizó análisis hematológico y de química sanguínea, donde los valores de CHCM, heterófilos, linfocitos, monocitos, AST, proteínas totales, albúmina y globulinas resultaron significativamente diferentes entre las tortugas sanas y las tortugas con tumores. Se realizó PCR a las muestras para determinar la presencia de genoma de herpesvirus y papilomavirus como posibles agentes etiológicos, donde el papilomavirus estuvo ausente en la totalidad de las muestras, mientras el virus Herpes se presentó en el 69.23% de los tumores posicionándose como el posible agente etiológico de la enfermedad.

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