Caretta caretta (loggerhead turtle) for VGP reference genome, rCarCar2, sequence data
Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) are a single species that comprise 10 distinct subpopulations around the world. They are found primarily in subtropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and in the Mediterranean Sea. Loggerhead Turtles are characterized by having large heads, hence their name, which supports a fairly strong jaw that allows them to feed on hard-shelled prey, such as whelks and conch. Like most sea turtles, Loggerheads are highly migratory and use a great variety of localities and habitats during their lifetimes. The population status of the Loggerhead turtle has been assessed for the IUCN Red List of threatened species and is globally listed as Vulnerable (Sources: NOAA Fisheries https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/loggerhead-turtle; IUCN-SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group https://www.iucn-mtsg.org/updates/2015-loggerhead-redlist-assessments). This sample of a female juvenile individual was procured at Sea World San Diego by Erin LaCasella of NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center and coordinated by Camila Mazzoni and Lisa Komoroske to generate a high-quality reference genome for the Vertebrate Genomes Project (VGP). Sequencing was conducted at the Vertebrate Genome Lab (VGL) at the Rockefeller University, led by Erich D. Jarvis, Giulio Formenti, and Jennifer Balacco.