Meeting Abstract

P1.111  Monday, Jan. 4  Blood biochemistry of sea turtles incidentally entangled in fishing gear SOUTHWOOD, Amanda*; SNODDY, Jessica; PARGA, MariLuz; SWIMMER, Yonat; University of North Carolina Wilmington; University of North Carolina Wilmington; SUBMON Conservacion Estudio; NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center southwooda@uncw.edu

Mortality due to incidental entanglement in fishing gear has been implicated as a contributor to population decline for several species of sea turtle. Documenting the number of in-net mortalities that occur is straight-forward, but post-release mortality due to stress of entanglement or injuries incurred while in the net has not been thoroughly investigated. Previous studies have shown that forcibly submerged sea turtles display significant alterations in blood biochemistry indicative of hypoxia and restraint stress which could have negative consequences for sea turtles post-release. We investigated the blood biochemistry of sea turtles entangled in shallow set gillnets and pelagic longlines to evaluate the metabolic and physiological impacts of entanglement in these gear types. We measured concentrations of lactate, corticosterone, ions, enzymes, protein and glucose in the blood. Entanglement in fishing gear resulted in elevated levels of blood lactate, LDH, CPK, corticosterone, and glucose compared with baseline levels reported in the literature and control blood samples. Intense struggling and forced submergence during entanglement likely result in a shift from aerobic to anaerobic metabolic pathways due to an imbalance between oxygen supply and demand. Elevated blood enzymes are indicative of internal tissue damage, and elevated levels of corticosterone and glucose indicate induction of a systemic stress response during entanglement. Alterations in blood chemistry were associated with poor health status as reflected by physical exam. The time required for recovery from enforced submergence requires further investigation.