Congenital malformation in green turtle embryos and hatchlings.

Successful embryonic development depends on the interaction between genetic factors and environmental variables. Congenital malformations in sea turtles can result from extreme conditions during the incubation period, reducing hatching success and potentially impeding population recovery. We aimed to characterize the congenital malformations found in green turtle nests, determine their prevalence and severity, and understand their drivers during the 2022 nesting season on Samandag beach on northern Mediterranean nesting beaches. A total of 2986 examples of congenital malformations were observed in 362 out of 907 green turtle nests. The prevalence of congenital malformations per nest was 39%, and the severity (the number of malformed individuals per nest) was 3.8%. Nests with congenital malformations exhibited a lower mean distance from the sea, a shorter incubation duration (a proxy for incubation temperature), lower hatching success, a larger clutch size, and higher mortality at late embryonic and hatchling stages than nests without congenital malformations. There was no significant difference in total mortality between these two nest types. A total of 52 different congenital malformations were recorded, 2 of which were observed for the first time in sea turtles and 28 for the first time in green turtles. The results suggest that congenital malformations may be related to nest temperature and clutch size, while overall mortality may be independent of malformations. Pigmentation disorders and craniofacial malformations typically coexist in cases of multiple malformations. Long-term monitoring of congenital malformations is crucial, as it can provide clues about the health status of the nesting beach and nesting colony.

Priorities for Mediterranean marine turtle conservation and management in the face of climate change.

As climate-related impacts threaten marine biodiversity globally, it is important to adjust conservation efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. Translating scientific knowledge into practical management, however, is often complicated due to resource, economic and policy constraints, generating a knowledge-action gap. To develop potential solutions for marine turtle conservation, we explored the perceptions of key actors across 18 countries in the Mediterranean. These actors evaluated their perceived relative importance of 19 adaptation and mitigation measures that could safeguard marine turtles from climate change. Of importance, despite differences in expertise, experience and focal country, the perceptions of researchers and management practitioners largely converged with respect to prioritizing adaptation and mitigation measures. Climate change was considered to have the greatest impacts on offspring sex ratios and suitable nesting sites. The most viable adaptation/mitigation measures were considered to be reducing other pressures that act in parallel to climate change. Ecological effectiveness represented a key determinant for implementing proposed measures, followed by practical applicability, financial cost, and societal cost. This convergence in opinions across actors likely reflects long-standing initiatives in the Mediterranean region towards supporting knowledge exchange in marine turtle conservation. Our results provide important guidance on how to prioritize measures that incorporate climate change in decision-making processes related to the current and future management and protection of marine turtles at the ocean-basin scale, and could be used to guide decisions in other regions globally. Importantly, this study demonstrates a successful example of how interactive processes can be used to fill the knowledge-action gap between research and management.

Hyalomma aegyptium the dominant hard tick in tortoises Tesdudo hermanni boettgeri found in different regions of Albania.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the level of hard tick infestation in the tortoise subspecies Testudo hermanni boettgeri living within the free-range hills and mountains of four regions of central and south Albania. In addition, this study showed the morphological differences of infested and non-infested tortoises in several geographic locations where tortoises are known to be infested with Hyalomma aegyptium, a natural carrier of different zoonotic pathogens. Thirty-six of 145 (24.8%) examined Hermann's tortoises were found to be infested with hard ticks. After the tortoises were carefully captured and controlled, a total of 67 H. aegyptium were collected: 47 in Berati, 11 in Ballshi and 9 in Saranda. None of the 40 tortoises in the Tirana region were found to be infested with ticks. All ticks were identified as H. aegyptium adults. The highest prevalence of tick infestation was in the Berati region at 49.1%, followed by the Ballshi and Saranda region by 24% and 12%, respectively. The mean infestation intensity was 1.86 H. aegyptium per Hermann's tortoise, and it was found that H. aegyptium are less common in large Hermann's tortoises. The number of H. aegyptium male ticks was negatively correlated with the body dimensions of Hermann's tortoises. Hyalomma aegyptium is the most prevalent tick in Hermann's tortoises in three regions of south Albania, and with a typical three-host life cycle in different wild and domestic animals, they may be a vector of zoonotic pathogens. Furthermore, other studies should be conducted to detect the presence of zoonotic pathogens in ticks from these regions and to estimate the risk of transmission in animals and humans.

A Different Perspective on Sex Dimorphism in the Adult Hermann's Tortoise: Geometric Morphometry.

Eastern Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri) is a subspecies of Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni) found in Albania. Gender determination is one of the crucial elements in determining the population dynamics in all species. Female and male adult tortoises look different, but these differences can be difficult to distinguish in captivity or when their sex indicators are deformed or injured. Therefore, the aim of this study was to use indirect and non-invasive methods such as geometric morphometric analysis to determine the sex of adult tortoises. For the geometric morphometry, 17 female and 23 male Hermann's tortoises were collected and photographed from the hills and mountains around the Tirana district of Albania between August and October 2019. Sexes were discriminated based on geometric morphometry, and plastron shape was a better indicator than carapace shape. In addition, abdominal, femoral and anal scutes on the plastron and the ratio of femoral to pectoral suture lengths were important for the sex distinction. Females had a larger plastron than males; this may have been supported by fecundity selection, because a large plastron suggests more volume in which to store eggs. The femoral and anal scutes were larger in male tortoises, and serve as a stronger base during mating. This study was conducted for adults only, and future studies are needed to determine if these indicators also apply to hatchlings and juveniles.

Morphological Divergence of Hermann's Tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri Mojsisovits, 1889) in Albania.

Testudines show phenotypic plasticity, and variation among specific populations within a species is widespread. Morphological differences between populations may reflect ecological factors that drive adaptation to local conditions. In this context, we gathered basic data on the morphology of the Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri Mojsisovits, 1889) to document their variation across different geographical regions. We surveyed Hermann's tortoises in five different locales within Albania during April and May 2020 and measured 20 morphological characteristics, including carapace and plastron dimensions. We measured 188 tortoises (81 males, 107 females) in this study, and females were larger (p = 0.0001) and heavier (p = 0.0001) than males. Mean straight carapace length (SCL) and body mass were 172.4 mm and 1128.8 g, respectively, for females, and 151.3 mm and 735 g, respectively, for males. The Albanian T. h. boettgeri were regionally diverged into three different populations that were situated in northern (Shkodra), central (Tirana, Berati, and Ballshi), and southern (Saranda) Albania. The body size (curved carapace length (CCL)) of females was positively correlated (r = 0.216; p = 0.025) with the latitude, in accordance with Bergmann's rule. However, there was no correlation between body size and latitude in males. These striking regional differences among Albanian T. h. boettgeri strongly suggest that further study of molecular variations and reproductive output of Hermann's tortoises is warranted.

Morphological Variations in the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas): A Field Study on an Eastern Mediterranean Nesting Population.

Morphological studies in marine turtles might be used to obtain information about changes in developmental habitats. Information regarding mortality and growth rates can be obtained by collecting data on the size of nesting females on the nesting beach. Morphometric and meristic traits of female green turtles (Chelonia mydas) were recorded on Samandag Beach, Turkey, during the 2006-2016 nesting seasons. The study aimed to determine the mean and minimum curved carapace length (CCL) of the nesting green turtle and the differences in body size and scute pattern over the years. The relationship between the body size of nesting green turtles and latitude was also analysed. CCL and curved carapace width (CCW) were recorded for 365 individuals and meristic measures were recorded for 292 individuals. The mean CCL and CCW were recorded as 86.9 (± 6.14) and 77.9 (± 5.95) cm, respectively. The minimum CCL of nesting green turtles was also recorded as 72 cm. The CCL and CCW showed differences over the years and they tended to become smaller from 2006 to 2016. However, this trend was not significant according to the Mann-Kendall trend test. The CCL value was negatively correlated with the latitude and rejected Bergmann's rule. There was no relationship between year and carapace scute deviation. The Samandag green turtle population had the smallest nesting green turtle based on CCL. In addition to environmental factors, recruitment of females, and growth and mortality rates, and the nesting shift between nesting beaches may be some of the reasons behind a smaller value over the years.

Relationship between Metabolic Heating and Nest Parameters in Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas, L. 1758) on Samandag Beach, Turkey.

Acquiring information about metabolic heating is necessary for the improved understanding of nesting beaches. However, there are limited studies on metabolic heating of green turtle (Chelonia mydas, L. 1758) on Mediterranean beaches. The present study sought to determine the metabolic heating, and its effect on the feminization of green turtle hatchlings during 2016 and 2017 nesting season on Samandag Beach, Hatay, Turkey. Moreover, the relations between metabolic heating and nest parameters, and spatio-temporal differences of metabolic heating were evaluated. Nest temperatures were recorded by using data loggers placed at the center of nests (n = 18), and the same depth was used to determine the sand temperature that was 50 cm back of the egg chamber. The mean incubation duration was calculated as 51.1 days, and the mean distance of nests from sea and the mean nest depth were measured as 32.4 meters and 67.70 cm, respectively. The mean numbers of embryo that is early, middle and late embryonic stages were found as 110.8, 93.2 and 93.05, respectively. The mean clutch size was found as 110.8. Mean metabolic heating was 0.37°C in the middle third of incubation for both years. The metabolic heating in both years was close to the as reported in the other green turtles nesting beaches in the Mediterranean. The feminization effect of metabolic heating was calculated as 6.8% in the green turtle nests on Samandag Beach. Metabolic heating did not vary spatially, and the clutch size was the most important factor in metabolic heating and explained a large proportion of the variation in metabolic heating.

Sixteen Year (2002-2017) Record of Sea Turtle Strandings on Samandag Beach, the Eastern Mediterranean Coast of Turkey.

Bektas Sönmez (2018) Data on stranded sea turtles allow us to obtain information about age classes, temporal and spatial distributions, and mortality rates in turtles. This study aims to investigate life stages, temporal variation in the number of stranded, body size trend, causes of stranding, and scute deviation of stranded sea turtles on Samandag Beach, the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey during 2002-2017. A total of 302 stranded dead turtles were found. Among these, 167 (55.4%) of them were Chelonia mydas, 127 (42%) Caretta caretta, 2 (0.6%) Trionyx triunguis, and 6 individuals (2%) were unidentified. The mean annual stranding values over the years were 10.5 (ranging from 6 to 22) and 7.9 individuals (ranging from 4 to 21) for C. mydas and C. caretta, respectively. Although the adult green turtles were less stranded, sub-adult and adult stages of the loggerhead turtles were intensively stranded. As the body size of the stranded green turtle has slightly increased, the number of stranded green turtles has decreased over the years. Stranding of loggerhead turtles showed no trend in frequency or body size. The causes of death showed significant differences between the two species as well as among the years. Fishing activities and marine pollution is the main cause of strandings on Samandag Beach. Oceanic and sub-adult stage individuals were stranded in especially high numbers due to plastic materials. Adult stages in both sea turtle have less carapacial scute deviation. The present study contributes to the stranded data for both sea turtle species in the Mediterranean. Natal origins of the stranded sea turtles on Samandag Beach should be investigated and a stranding network system should be urgently established.

Some properties of new nesting areas of sea turtles in north-eastern Mediterranean situated on the extension of the Samandag Beach, Turkey.

One of the most endangered species in tropical seas, Chelonia mydas (green turtles) prefer undisturbed sand beaches to lay their eggs. While Caretta caretta lays their eggs all over the Mediterranean beaches of Turkey, C. mydas nesting locations are limited with north-eastern site (Alata, Kazanli, Akyatan and Samandag) of the country and some beaches in Cyprus. Until 2003, no nesting place of both species between Akyatan and Samandag was recorded. From north to south, the beaches examined in 2003 summer are Arsuz, Konacik, Kale, Tr-H-3, Tr-H-2, and Tr-H-1 in addition to well-known and studied nesting beaches of sea turtle species in Hatay Province: Cevlik, Seyhhizir and Meydan. Since the Hatay Provincial Coast between Cevlik and Arsuz is hilly and no stabilized road is available, these small beaches were not known to have both C. mydas and C. caretta nests. Some physical and chemical sand properties, the number of nests belong to both species and selected nest specifications were investigated in this study. Kale Beach was found to be the most important nesting place in this less populated area. Based on results, Kale, Tr-H-3 and Tr-H-1 beaches were recorded to have high hatchling success.