Monitoring green sea turtles in Brazilian feeding areas: relating body condition index to fibropapillomatosis prevalence

Autor(es)

Rossi, Silmara ^{[1, 2]} ; Sanchez-Sarmiento, Angelica Maria ^[3] ; dos Santos, Robson Guimaraes ^[4] ; Zamana, Roberta Ramblas ^{[1, 3]} ; Setim Prioste, Fabiola Eloisa ^{[1, 5]} ; Gattamorta, Marco Aurelio ^{[1, 6]} ; Cruz Ochoa, Pablo Felipe ^[7] ; Hildebrand Grisi-Filho, Jose Henrique ^[8] ; Matushima, Eliana Reiko ^{[1, 3]}

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Grp Pesquisa Fibropapilomatose Tartarugas Marinha, Av Prof Dr Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, BR-05508270 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Rio Grande do Norte UFRN, Ctr Biociencias, Dept Morfol, Lab Morfofisiol Comparada, Campus Univ UFRN, BR-59072970 Natal, RN - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med Vet & Zootecnia, Dept Patol, Lab Patol Comparada Animais Seivagens LAPCOM, Av Prof Dr Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, BR-05508270 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[4] Univ Fed Alagoas, Inst Ciencias Biol & Saude, Lab Biol Marinha & Conservacao, Av Lourivai Melo Mota S-N, BR-57072970 Maceio, Alagoas - Brazil

^[5] Univ Sao Judas, Rua Taquari 546, BR-03166000 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[6] Escoia Engn & Arquitetura, FMU, Av Liberdade 899, BR-01503001 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[7] Bioparque Los Ocarros, Km 3 Via Restrepo, Villavicencio Meta - Colombia

^[8] Univ Sao Paulo, LEB, Fac Med Vet & Zootecnia, Dept Med Vet Prevent & Saude Anim, Av Prof Dr Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, BR-05508270 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom; v. 99, n. 8, p. 1879-1887, DEC 2019.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) can be an important conservation threat to green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) due to its widespread distribution and complex aetiology. Thus, understanding the impacts of FP in sea turtle populations is a research priority towards conservation efforts. The body condition index (BCI), based on straight carapace length (SCL) and body mass (BM), is an accurate indicator of body-nutritional condition that can be used in routine green turtle health evaluations. This study aimed to compare BCI in FP-free (N = 369) and FP-affected (N = 518) green turtles from Brazilian feeding areas. Body condition indices were evaluated in terms of the South-west Atlantic Fibropapillomatosis Score - FPSSWA (mild, moderate and severe), study sites (five Brazilian states), origin (intentional capture, fishery, stranding and afloat) and sex (when known). Curved and straight carapace lengths, and body mass were recorded in order to calculate BCI. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in BCI among green turtles from different study areas (P = 0.02), and lower BCI values in FP-free than in FP-positive individuals (P < 0.0001). With regards to origin, the highest BCI was found in the intentional capture group (N = 245; 1.47 +/- 0.16), followed by fishery (N = 180; 1.46 +/- 0.20). Analysis according to sex revealed a higher mean BCI among females than males (P < 0.017). This study provides relevant data on the health and nutritional status of green turtles along the Brazilian coast, in important feeding areas for this species. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 11/04565-7 - Presença de contaminantes ambientais em tecidos de tartaruga-verde (Chelonia mydas) provenientes da Costa brasileira: estudo da prevalência em animais acometidos pela fibropapilomatose
• Beneficiário: Angelica Maria Sanchez Sarmiento
• Linha de fomento: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado
• Processo FAPESP: 10/01781-8 - Avaliação da função celular de leucócitos por citometria de fluxo e a influência de bifenilos policlorados no desenvolvimento da fibropapilomatose em Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) (Testudines, Cheloniidae).
• Beneficiário: Silmara Rossi
• Linha de fomento: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 12/14319-6 - Ecologia e etiologia da fibropapilomatose em populações de Chelonia mydas (Testudines, Cheloniidae): estrutura das populações e papel de bifenilos policlorados e metais potencialmente tóxicos no desenvolvimento da doença
• Beneficiário: Eliana Reiko Matushima
• Linha de fomento: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular