scholarly journals INVITED ARTICLE FROM THE 2021 TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE TEXAS DISTINGUISHED SCIENTIST

2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna J. Shaver
Keyword(s):  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Corpus Christi ◽  
Lifetime Achievement ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Padre Island ◽  
Conservation Projects ◽  
Kemp's Ridley

Donna Shaver is the Chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore and the Texas Coordinator of the U.S. Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sea Turtle Society in 2018, the 2013 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Recovery Champion Award for Agency Partner in 2014, the Corpus Christi Caller Times 2011 Newsmaker of the Year in 2012, and she was the ABC World News Tonight’s Person of the Week on July 29, 2005. She has studied Texas sea turtles since 1980 and is well known for her leadership role in the recovery of the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. Her studies describing sea turtle migratory and foraging habitat use, as well as nesting and stranding trends, have led to increased protections for sea turtles in Texas and beyond. With over 400 scientific publications and presentations, Shaver is distinguished as one of the top sea turtle biologists in the USA and was named the 2021 Texas Distinguished Scientist at the annual meeting of the Texas Academy of Science. Shaver oversees a variety of sea turtle research and conservation projects conducted in Texas, collaborates with other researchers in the USA and Mexico, and provides training and leadership to hundreds of biologists and volunteers working with sea turtles in Texas.

scholarly journals Effects of Ground Transport in Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Turtles

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
K E Hunt ◽  
C Merigo ◽  
E A Burgess ◽  
C Loren Buck ◽  
D Davis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Clinical Status ◽  
Caretta Caretta ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Cape Cod ◽  
Lepidochelys Kempii ◽  
Turtle Species ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Kemp's Ridley

Synopsis Many juvenile Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles strand during fall on the beaches of Cape Cod (MA, USA), with total stranding numbers sometimes exceeding 300 turtles per year. Once rehabilitated, turtles must be released at beaches with appropriate water temperatures, often requiring transportation to southeastern coastal states of the USA. These transportation events (transports) may approach or exceed 24 h in duration. Kemp’s ridley turtles are known to exhibit an adrenal stress response during such transports, but the effect of transport duration has been unclear, and no other sea turtle species has been investigated. To assess whether transport duration and/or species affects physiological reactions to transport, we studied pre- and post-transport physiological measures in Kemp’s ridley and loggerhead turtles transported by ground for <6, ∼12, ∼18, or ∼24 h, comparing with matched “control events” in which turtles were studied without transport. Blood samples were analyzed for four stress-associated measures (corticosterone, glucose, total white blood cell [WBC] count, and heterophil/lymphocyte ratio [H/L]) and nine measures of clinical status (pH, pO2, pCO2, HCO3, sodium, potassium, ionized calcium, lactate, and hematocrit). In both species, stress-associated measures elevated significantly during transport, while handling without transport had no significant effects. Loggerheads exhibited a greater stress response than Kemp’s ridleys across all transport durations. These results indicate that sea turtles do react physiologically to ground transport; therefore, minimizing transport time and streamlining transport logistics (where feasible) may help ensure release of rehabilitated turtles to sea in the best possible condition. Nonetheless, both species remained in good clinical condition even after 24 h transport, indicating that current transport protocols are generally safe for sea turtles from a clinical perspective.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Gonadal Tissue to Validate Size at Reproductive Maturity in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Found Stranded in Texas, USA

Diversity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Stephenson Craven ◽  
Jay York Seabright Hodgson ◽  
Donna Jill Shaver ◽  
Jennifer Shelby Walker ◽  
Martha Ramona Villalba-Guerra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Power ◽  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Reproductive Maturity ◽  
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles ◽  
Padre Island ◽  
Demographic Shifts ◽  
Kemp's Ridley

The Kemp’s ridley, Lepidochelys kempii, is the most endangered sea turtle in the world. Anthropogenic mortality of Kemp’s ridleys has been well documented in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), USA. We evaluated the reproductive maturity of 75 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles found dead on GOM beaches on Mustang Island and North Padre Island, Texas, USA, 1994–1999. Straight carapace length (SCL) ranged from 40.8 to 68.7 cm. Preserved gonads and associated tissues were examined and measured. Gonadal measurements were then compared with SCL. Adults and juveniles shared a larger range of carapace measurements than expected, supporting the idea that juveniles spend several years in a pubertal state. Our results suggest caution when using SCL, tail length, or curved front claws alone as indicators of sexual maturity. In fact, SCL can be used to discern adults from juveniles with more predictive power when coupled with testis length or oviduct length measurements, thus allowing endangered species managers to more clearly identify demographic shifts in the number of mature animals, which can precede population changes. This study shows that information gained from the examination of stranded sea turtles allows wildlife managers to make more informed decisions regarding conservation priorities.

scholarly journals Rediscovering Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii): Molecular Analysis and Threats

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Angel Reyes-López ◽  
Fátima Yedith Camacho-Sánchez ◽  
Catherine E. Hart ◽  
Valeria Leal-Sepúlveda ◽  
Kevin Alan Zavala-Félix ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Chelonia Mydas ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Olive Ridley ◽  
Lepidochelys Kempii ◽  
Eretmochelys Imbricata ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
Padre Island ◽  
Kemp's Ridley

Sea turtles are reptiles that have inhabited the earth for 100 million years. These are divided into 2 families (Cheloniidae and Dermochelyidae) and 7 species of sea turtles in the world: the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea); hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata); Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii); olive ridley (L. olivacea); Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta); flatback sea turtle (Natator depressus) and green turtle (Chelonia mydas). In particular, Kemp’s ridley is included in the red list of IUCN categorized as “critically endangered”. The most important site around the Word is in Rancho Nuevo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Where 80–95% of the world’s nesting is concentrated. Other nesting areas are Tepeguajes and Barra del Tordo, in Tamaulipas, and with less intensity in Veracruz (Lechuguillas and El Raudal beaches) and South Padre Island, Texas, USA. They deposit an average of about 90 eggs and hatching takes 40 to 60 days. Therefore, they are vulnerable to different anthropogenic activities and sources of pollution, such as heavy metals, which can cause toxic effects that are harmful to the turtles, damage their physiology and health. To understand the real situation about health and genetic parameters it is necessary to analyze biochemical and molecular factors in this species.

scholarly journals The gut bacterial microbiota of sea turtles differs between geographically distinct populations

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 95-108
Author(s):  
TF Scheelings ◽  
RJ Moore ◽  
TTH Van ◽  
M Klaassen ◽  
RD Reina
Keyword(s):  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Microbial Community Composition ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Bacterial Microbiota ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Loggerhead Turtles ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Species Specific

The microbiota of metazoans can be influenced by a variety of factors including diet, environment and genetics. In this study we sampled multiple populations from 2 host species that do not overlap in distribution, in order to test whether their bacterial microbiotas are species-specific or more variable. Intestinal swabs were collected from loggerhead turtles originating from Florida, USA, and Queensland, Australia, as well as from flatback turtles from Crab Island, Queensland, and Port Hedland, Western Australia. We then manually extracted bacterial DNA and used 16S rRNA sequencing to explore bacterial microbial community composition and structure. Our investigation showed that the bacterial microbiota of sea turtles is heavily influenced by geography, with loggerhead turtles originating from the USA and Australia harbouring significantly different bacterial microbial populations in terms of composition. Similarly, we also found that flatback turtles from Crab Island had significantly less diverse microbiotas, with a predominance of the bacterial phylum Firmicutes, in comparison to their genetically similar counterparts from Port Hedland. Factors that may explain these observed differences between populations include host genetics, differences in foraging habitat quality and differences in migratory distance (and thus durations of inappetence) between foraging and breeding grounds. The mechanisms by which these factors may influence bacterial microbial composition of sea turtle gastrointestinal tracts warrants further investigation. The results of this study highlight the importance of interpreting microbiota data of wild animals in the context of geography.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Respiratory Microbiome and the Use of Tracheal Lavage as a Diagnostic Tool in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys kempii)

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2927
Author(s):  
Kerry L. McNally ◽  
Jennifer L. Bowen ◽  
Jennifer O. Brisson ◽  
Adam Kennedy ◽  
Charles J. Innis
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Lepidochelys Kempii ◽  
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles ◽  
Tracheal Lavage ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Kemp's Ridley

Respiratory disease is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in sea turtles, including the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii). Although culture-dependent methods are typically used to characterize microbes associated with pneumonia and to determine treatment, culture-independent methods can provide a deeper understanding of the respiratory microbial communities and lead to a more accurate diagnosis. In this study, we characterized the tracheal lavage microbiome from cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles at three time points during rehabilitation (intake, rehabilitation, and convalescence) by analyzing the 16S rRNA gene collected from tracheal lavage samples. We retrospectively developed a radiographic scoring system to grade the severity of lung abnormalities in these turtles and found no differences in diversity or composition of microbial communities based on radiographic score. We also found that the culture isolates from tracheal lavage samples, as well as other previously reported sea turtle pathogens, were present in variable abundance across sequenced samples. In addition to the tracheal microbial community of live turtles, we characterized microbial communities from other segments of the respiratory tract (glottis, trachea, anterior lung, posterior lung) from deceased turtles. We found a high degree of variability within turtles and a high degree of dissimilarity between different segments of the respiratory tract and the tracheal lavage collected from the same turtle. In summary, we found that the pulmonary microbial community associated with pneumonia in sea turtles is complex and does not correlate well with the microbial community as identified by tracheal lavage. These results underscore the limitations of using tracheal lavage for identification of the causative agents of pneumonia in sea turtles.

scholarly journals The Effects of Feeding on Hematological and Plasma Biochemical Profiles in Green (Chelonia mydas) and Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) Sea Turtles

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric T. Anderson ◽  
Larry J. Minter ◽  
Elsburgh O. Clarke ◽  
Raymond M. Mroch ◽  
Jean F. Beasley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Chelonia Mydas ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Blood Collection ◽  
Plasma Biochemistry ◽  
Turtle Species ◽  
Green Turtles ◽  
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles ◽  
Biochemical Profiles ◽  
Kemp's Ridley

In mammals, lipemic blood from sampling too soon after an animal feeds can have substantial effects on biochemical values. Plasma biochemical values in reptiles may be affected by species, age, season, and nutritional state. However, fasting status is not routinely considered when sampling reptile blood. In this paper, we evaluated 2-hour postprandial blood collection in two sea turtle species to investigate the effects of feeding on hematological and plasma biochemical values. Feeding had no significant effects on hematological values in either species, nor did it have an effect on plasma biochemistry values in Kemp's ridley sea turtles. In postprandial green turtles, total protein, albumin, ALP, AST, ALT, amylase, and cholesterol increased significantly, and chloride decreased significantly. Although statistically significant changes were observed, the median percent differences between pre- and postprandial values did not exceed 10% for any of these analytes and would not likely alter the clinical interpretation.

scholarly journals Predicting the distribution of oceanic-stage Kemp's ridley sea turtles

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 20130345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan F. Putman ◽  
Katherine L. Mansfield ◽  
Ruoying He ◽  
Donna J. Shaver ◽  
Philippe Verley
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Annual Variation ◽  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Movement Ecology ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Demographic Models ◽  
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles ◽  
Kemp's Ridley

The inaccessibility of open ocean habitat and the cryptic nature of small animals are fundamental problems when assessing the distribution of oceanic-stage sea turtles and other marine animals sharing similar life-history traits. Most methods that estimate patterns of abundance cannot be applied in situations that are extremely data limited. Here, we use a movement ecology framework to generate the first predicted distributions for the oceanic stage of the Kemp's ridley sea turtle ( Lepidochelys kempii ). Our simulations of particle dispersal within ocean circulation models reveal substantial annual variation in distribution and survival among simulated cohorts. Such techniques can help prioritize areas for conservation, and supply inputs for more realistic demographic models attempting to characterize population trends.

Comparison of 2 glucose analytical methodologies in immature Kemp’s ridley sea turtles: dry chemistry of plasma versus point-of-care glucometer analysis of whole blood

2021 ◽  
pp. 104063872110018
Author(s):  
Justin R. Perrault ◽  
Michael D. Arendt ◽  
Jeffrey A. Schwenter ◽  
Julia L. Byrd ◽  
Kathryn A. Tuxbury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Whole Blood ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Sample Volume ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Volume Data ◽  
Analytical Methodology ◽  
Glucose Determination ◽  
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles ◽  
Kemp's Ridley

Blood glucose measurements provide important diagnostic information regarding stress, disease, and nutritional status. Glucose analytical methodologies include dry chemistry analysis (DCA) of plasma and point-of-care (POC) glucometer analysis of whole blood; however, these 2 methods differ in cost, required sample volume, and processing time. Because POC glucometers use built-in equations based on features of mammalian blood to convert whole blood measurements to plasma equivalent units, obtained glucose data must be compared and validated using gold-standard chemistry analytical methodology in reptiles. For in-water, trawl-captured, immature Kemp’s ridley sea turtles ( Lepidochelys kempii) from Georgia, USA, we observed significant, positive agreement between the 2 glucose determination methods; however, the glucometer overestimated glucose concentrations by 1.4 mmol/L on average in comparison to DCA and produced a wider range of results. The discordance of these results suggests that POC glucometer glucose data should be interpreted in the context of methodology- and brand-specific reference intervals along with concurrent packed cell volume data.

scholarly journals Global research activity on antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals

2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Waleed M. Sweileh
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
One Health ◽  
Research Collaboration ◽  
Search Query ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Research Theme ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Number Of Publications ◽  
Number Of Citations

Abstract Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global challenge that requires a “One Health” approach to achieve better public health outcomes for people, animals, and the environment. Numerous bibliometric studies were published on AMR in humans. However, none was published in food-producing animals. The current study aimed at assessing and analyzing scientific publications on AMR in food-producing animals. Method A validated search query was developed and entered in Scopus advanced search function to retrieve and quantitatively analyze relevant documents. Bibliometric indicators and mapping were presented. The study period was from 2000 to 2019. Results The search query retrieved 2852 documents. During the period from 2015 to 2019, approximately 48% of the retrieved documents were published. The article about the discovery of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance in pigs received the highest number of citations (n = 1970). The Journal of Food Protection (n = 123; 4.3%) ranked first in the number of publications while the Applied and Environmental Microbiology journal ranked first in the number of citations per document. The USA led with 576 (20.2%) documents followed by China (n = 375; 13.1%). When the number of publications was standardized by income and population size, India (n = 51.5) ranked first followed by China (n = 38.3) and Brazil (n = 13.4). The growth of publications from China exceeded that of the USA in the last 3 years of the study period. Research collaboration in this field was inadequate. Mapping author keywords showed that E. coli, Salmonella, poultry, Campylobacter, chicken, cattle, and resistant genes were most frequent. The retrieved documents existed in five research themes. The largest research theme was about AMR in Salmonella in food-producing animals. The most recent research theme was about the dissemination and molecular transfer of AMR genes into the environment and among different bacterial strains. Conclusion Hot spots of research on AMR in food-producing animals match the world regions of reported hot spots of AMR in animals. Research collaboration in this field is of great importance, especially with low- and middle-income countries. Data on AMR need to be collected nationally and internationally to implement the “One Health” approach in the fight against AMR.

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