title: Potential impacts of historical disturbance on green turtle health in the unique & protected marine ecosystem of Palmyra Atoll (Central Pacific).
abstract: Palmyra Atoll, in the Central Pacific, is a unique marine ecosystem because of its remarkably intact food web and limited anthropogenic stressors. However during World War II the atoll was structurally reconfigured into a military installation and questions remain whether this may have impacted the health of the atoll's ecosystems and species. To address the issue we assessed green sea turtle (n=157) health and exposure to contaminants at this foraging ground from 2008 to 2012. Physical exams were performed and blood was sampled for testosterone analysis, plasma biochemistry analysis, hematology and heavy metal exposure. Hematological and plasma chemistries were consistent with concentrations reported for healthy green turtles. Heavy metal screenings revealed low concentrations of most metals, except for high concentrations of iron and aluminum. Body condition indices showed that <1% of turtles had poor body condition. In this study, we provide the first published blood values for a markedly healthy sea turtle population at a remote Central Pacific Atoll.
authors.affiliation: US Geological Survey, South Carolina Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA; Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA. Electronic address: kwm6@clemson.edu.
authors.forename: Katherine W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: McFadden
authors.affiliation: ICF International, Washington, DC 20006, USA.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.affiliation: Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA. Electronic address: sterling@amnh.org.
authors.forename: Eleanor J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Sterling
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA. Electronic address: Eugenia.NaroMaciel@csi.cuny.edu.
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Naro-Maciel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001835:Body Weight; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D020387:Food Chain; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D058749:Military Facilities; D010139:Pacific Islands; D014426:Turtles / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy
keywords: Contaminant; Health; Marine turtles; Palmyra Atoll; Plasma biochemistry; Toxicants