Meeting Abstract
Because of their vulnerable population status, assessing exposure levels and impacts of toxins on the health status of marine turtle populations is critical. From 2011-2013, two large blooms of the red tide dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, occurred along the west coast of Florida USA. It is unknown how harmful algal blooms affected the Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) inhabiting the affected waters. It is essential to gather information regarding brevetoxin exposure in these turtles to determine if it poses a threat to marine turtle health and survival. From 2012-2013, we collected blood from 13 immature Kemp’s ridleys captured in the Charlotte Harbor estuary. Nine turtles were sampled immediately after or during the red tide events (bloom group) while four turtles were sampled between the events (nonbloom group). Plasma was analyzed for total brevetoxins, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, total protein concentration and protein electrophoretic profiles. Brevetoxin concentrations ranged from 7.0-33.8 ng PbTx-3 eq/mL. Plasma brevetoxin concentrations in the nine turtles sampled during or immediately after the red tide events were significantly higher than turtles sampled between events. No significant correlations were observed between plasma brevetoxin concentrations and plasma proteins or SOD activity; however α-globulins tended to increase with increasing brevetoxin concentrations. Smaller bloom turtles had higher plasma brevetoxin concentrations than larger bloom turtles, possibly due to a growth dilution effect. The research presented here improves the current understanding of potential impacts of environmental brevetoxin exposure on marine turtle health and survival.
