Post‐release mortality estimates of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) caught in pelagic longline fisheries based on satellite data and hooking location

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中华鳖对温和气单胞菌口服微球缓释疫苗的免疫应答

以中华鳖温和气单胞菌 (Aeromonas sobria,As) Z- 1株灭活全菌液 ,采用生物降解性高分子材料制成缓释微球疫苗 ,口服免疫中华鳖 ,测定血清中凝集抗体、血液中白细胞杀菌率以及对活菌攻击的免疫保护率。结果表明 ,中华鳖口服微球疫苗 ,其血清中凝集抗体效价和血液中白细胞杀菌百分率均可达到灭活菌液注射组相当的水平 (P>0 .0 5 ) ,显著高于对照组 (P<0 .0 1) ;微球疫苗口服组和灭活菌液注射组的免疫保护率分别为 94 .7%和 89.5 % ,两者差异不显著 (P>0 .0 5 ) ,而对照组小鼠 95 %死亡。采用可生物降解微球作为中华鳖气单胞菌口服疫苗的载体系统是可行的。     

Population pharmacokinetics of ceftazidime after a single intramuscular injection in wild turtles

Ceftazidime, a third‐generation cephalosporin, is important for treating opportunistic bacterial infections in turtles. Antibacterial dosage regimens are not well established for wild turtles and are often extrapolated from other reptiles or mammals. This investigation used a population pharmacokinetic approach to study ceftazidime in wild turtles presented for rehabilitation. Ceftazidime was administered to 24 wild turtles presented to the Turtle Rescue Team at North Carolina State University. A sparse blood sampling protocol was used to collect samples from 0 to 120 hr with three samples per individual after injection. Plasma samples were analyzed by high‐pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). A nonlinear mixed‐effects model (NLME) was fitted to the data to determine typical values for population parameters. We identified a long half‐life (T½) of approximately 35 hr and volume of distribution (V_SS) of 0.26 L/kg. We concluded that this long T½ will allow for a dose of 20 mg/kg injected IM to maintain concentrations above the MIC of most wild‐type bacteria for 5 days. Because of long intervals between injections, stability of stored formulations was measured and showed that 90% strength was maintained for 120 hr when stored in the refrigerator and for 25 days when stored in the freezer.     

Pharmacokinetics of marbofloxacin in Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) following intravenous and intramuscular administration at two dosage rates

Limited pharmacokinetic information to establish suitable therapeutic plans is available for green sea turtles. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of marbofloxacin (MBF) in the green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas, following single intravenous (i.v.) or intramuscular (i.m.) administration at two dosages of 2 and 4 mg/kg body weight (b.w.). Blood samples were collected at assigned times up to 168 hr. MBF in plasma was extracted using liquid–liquid extraction and analyzed by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). MBF was quantifiable from 15 min to 96 hr after i.v. and i.m. administrations at two dose rates. A noncompartmental model was used to fit the plasma concentration of MBF versus time curve for each green sea turtle. The t_1/2λz value, similar for both the dosages (22–28 hr), indicated that the overall rate of elimination of MBF in green sea turtles is relatively slow. The average i.m. F% ranged 88%–103%. MBF is a concentration-dependent drug and the AUC/MIC ratio is the best PK/PD predictor for its efficacy. The MBF dosage of 4 mg/kg appeared to produce an appropriate value of the PK-PD surrogate that predicts antibacterial success for disease caused by susceptible bacteria. In contrast, i.m. administration of MBF at a dosage of 2 mg/kg b.w. was not found to produce a suitable PK-PD surrogate index. However, further studies of multiple doses and plasma binding proteins are warranted to confirm an appropriate dosage regimen.     

Sea turtle bycatch in the Chilean pelagic longline fishery in the southeastern Pacific: Opportunities for conservation

Data are presented on sea turtles caught in the Chilean longline fishery targeting swordfish, Xiphias gladius, in international waters off Chile. A total of 10,604,059 hooks from 7976 sets were observed, representing 94% of the total number of hooks fished between 2001 and 2005. Leatherbacks, Dermochelys coriacea, (n = 284) and loggerheads, Caretta caretta, (n = 59) were the most common species captured. Leatherbacks were caught in less than 4% of the sets, with an overall mean of 0.0268 turtles per 1000 hooks. Loggerheads were caught in less than 1% of the sets with a mean catch rate of 0.0056 turtles per 1000 hooks. Most leatherbacks (97.5% of total) were caught between 24°S and 38°S, while loggerheads were caught primarily in the northern portion of the area fished, between 24°19′S and 25°31′S. All loggerheads were dehooked where appropriate and released alive. A total of two leatherbacks were found dead. Despite the low catch rate of leatherbacks, the potential impact of this fishery on the severely depleted nesting populations in the eastern Pacific could be significant when combined with other fisheries and threats in the region. The very low mortality of bycaught sea turtles observed in our study is encouraging and suggests that there are opportunities for further reducing harmful effects of swordfish longline fishing on sea turtles. Results of spatial analysis of loggerhead bycatch relative to fishing effort show that closure of the northernmost fishing area would eliminate the majority of the loggerhead bycatch.     

Interpreting the spatio-temporal patterns of sea turtle strandings: Going with the flow

Knowledge of the spatial and temporal distribution of specific mortality sources is crucial for management of species that are vulnerable to human interactions. Beachcast carcasses represent an unknown fraction of at-sea mortalities. While a variety of physical (e.g., water temperature) and biological (e.g., decomposition) factors as well as the distribution of animals and their mortality sources likely affect the probability of carcass stranding, physical oceanography plays a major role in where and when carcasses strand. Here, we evaluate the influence of nearshore physical oceanographic and wind regimes on sea turtle strandings to decipher seasonal trends and make qualitative predictions about stranding patterns along oceanfront beaches. We use results from oceanic drift-bottle experiments to check our predictions and provide an upper limit on stranding proportions. We compare predicted current regimes from a 3D physical oceanographic model to spatial and temporal locations of both sea turtle carcass strandings and drift bottle landfalls. Drift bottle return rates suggest an upper limit for the proportion of sea turtle carcasses that strand (about 20%). In the South Atlantic Bight, seasonal development of along-shelf flow coincides with increased numbers of strandings of both turtles and drift bottles in late spring and early summer. The model also predicts net offshore flow of surface waters during winter - the season with the fewest relative strandings. The drift bottle data provide a reasonable upper bound on how likely carcasses are to reach land from points offshore and bound the general timeframe for stranding post-mortem (< two weeks). Our findings suggest that marine turtle strandings follow a seasonal regime predictable from physical oceanography and mimicked by drift bottle experiments. Managers can use these findings to reevaluate incidental strandings limits and fishery takes for both nearshore and offshore mortality sources.     

Efficacy of praziquantel in the treatment of green sea turtles with spontaneous infection of cardiovascular flukes

Objective To assess the efficacy of praziquantel as a treatment for cardiovascular flukes in turtles.
Procedure Six green sea turtles ( Chelonia mydas ) spontaneously infected with cardiovascular flukes (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) were treated orally with praziquantel, and necropsied 3 or 7 days later to look for flukes in the heart and major blood vessels. Six similar animals were maintained as untreated controls.
Results Absence of flukes in treated, but not control turtles, indicated that a one day course of treatment at a dose rate of 3 times 50 mg/kg body weight is effective.
Conclusion This result should be of value for preventing disease in wild caught green turtles introduced into farms or aquaria.