JESSOP, T.S.: A review of the rewards for the big, dumb and socially inept: Interactions between the adrenocortical stress response and life-history events of marine turtles.

The acute adrenocortical stress response (ASR) is an important defensive mechanism that promotes physiological and behavioural attributes that can increase survival of vertebrates in the face of pervasive stimuli. However, some vertebrates modulate their ASR to stressors to promote alternative behavioural and physiological functioning. In this study, I examined the association between the ASR and various life-history events of marine turtles, an ancient reptilian group with an unusual life-history. In particular, I have examined the capacity for modulation in the ASR of marine turtles in association with key life-history events, including natal dispersal, ontogeny, and reproduction. An effort was made to examine this relationship in the presence of many natural stressors, such as social and environmental stressors, in addition to a more typical capture stressor. It was evident that marine turtles exhibit a great capacity to modulate their acute ASR to stressors. In particular, as adults, breeding females decrease the ASR to capture and ecological stressors compared to non-breeding females. In contrast, adult males exhibit partial adrenocortical modulation, in which intermale aggression and courtship damage fails to induce an ASR, however a typical capture stressor is associated with a pronounced ASR. In summary, there is a strong association between life-history events and the ability of marine turtles to modulate their ASR. Some possible explanations are presented to clarify the interactions between the marine turtle ASR and their life-history.