Sea turtles in Florida's Atlantic waters

Management of marine turtles presents various challenges due to their highly migratory nature, which includes major ontogenetic habitat shifts, seasonal movements between feeding grounds, and migrations to and from breeding grounds. Further, sea turtle spatial distributions often differ in species-specific ways during similar temporal periods. Various approaches combine to give valuable insights into spatial and temporal distributions of sea turtles and provide critical knowledge for understanding and protecting these imperiled species. Here we summarize and synthesize available data that document sea turtle occurrences in waters from the Florida Straits (lat. 24°28´N) north to the latitude of Jacksonville, Fla. (lat. 30°20´ N), including waters up to 150 km offshore, termed Florida’s Atlantic waters for this review. We summarize 951 satellite tracked sea turtles, 288 of which crossed into Florida’s Atlantic waters. All species of sea turtles inhabiting the Atlantic Ocean were found to use Florida Atlantic waters. Sea turtles use Florida’s Atlantic waters year-round, yet distributions of individual species vary seasonally. We provide a current synthesis describing the spatial and temporal distributions of the five sea turtles species using Florida’s Atlantic waters and suggest areas where further study may be warranted

Effectiveness of exercise programs to reduce falls in older people with dementia living in the community: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise programs to reduce falls in older people with dementia who are living in the community. Method: Peer-reviewed articles (randomized controlled trials [RCTs] and quasi-experimental trials) published in English between January 2000 and February 2014, retrieved from six electronic databases – Medline (ProQuest), CINAHL, PubMed, PsycInfo, EMBASE and Scopus – according to predefined inclusion criteria were included. Where possible, results were pooled and meta-analysis was conducted. Results: Four articles (three RCT and one single-group pre- and post-test pilot study) were included. The study quality of the three RCTs was high; however, measurement outcomes, interventions, and follow-up time periods differed across studies. On completion of the intervention period, the mean number of falls was lower in the exercise group compared to the control group (mean difference [MD] [95% confidence interval {CI}] =-1.06 [-1.67 to -0.46] falls). Importantly, the exercise intervention reduced the risk of being a faller by 32% (risk ratio [95% CI] =0.68 [0.55–0.85]). Only two other outcomes were reported in two or more of the studies (step test and physiological profile assessment). No between-group differences were observed in the results of the step test (number of steps) (MD [95% CI] =0.51 [-1.77 to 2.78]) or the physiological profile assessment (MD [95% CI] =-0.10 [-0.62 to 0.42]).Conclusion: Findings from this review suggest that an exercise program may potentially assist in preventing falls of older people with dementia living in the community. However, further research is needed with studies using larger sample sizes, standardized measurement outcomes, and longer follow-up periods, to inform evidence-based recommendations

Evolutionary comparisons of chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) genomes from fibropapillomatosis-afflicted green (chelonia mydas), Ooive ridley (lepidochelys olivacea) and kemp’s ridley (lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles

peer-reviewedThe spreading global sea turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP) epizootic is threatening some of Earth’s ancient reptiles, adding to the plethora of threats faced by these keystone species. Understanding this neoplastic disease and its likely aetiological pathogen, chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5), is crucial to understand how the disease impacts sea turtle populations and species and the future trajectory of disease incidence. We generated 20 ChHV5 genomes, from three sea turtle species, to better understand the viral variant diversity and gene evolution of this oncogenic virus. We revealed previously underappreciated genetic diversity within this virus (with an average of 2035 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 1.54% of the ChHV5 genome) and identified genes under the strongest evolutionary pressure. Furthermore, we investigated the phylogeny of ChHV5 at both genome and gene level, confirming the propensity of the virus to be interspecific, with related variants able to infect multiple sea turtle species. Finally, we revealed unexpected intra-host diversity, with up to 0.15% of the viral genome varying between ChHV5 genomes isolated from different tumours concurrently arising within the same individual. These findings offer important insights into ChHV5 biology and provide genomic resources for this oncogenic viru

Habitat Preferences and Predation of the Softshell Clam, Mya arenaria, in the Lower Chesapeake Bay

Soft-shell clams (Mya arenaria), once abundant, are currently in decline in the Chesapeake Bay, nearing disappearance from some areas in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Proposed explanations for these regional declines include residual effects of Tropical Storm Agnes (1972) and intense pressures from predators. This study was designed to examine the potential for restoring declining populations of M. arenaria in the Lynnhaven river system through transplanting juvenile clams. We used Manipulative field experiments to determine the survival and growth of transplanted juvenile M. arenaria in replicate plots at two locations: Broad Bay and Pleasure House Creek. We also utilized various substrate types (sand, gravel, oyster shell) and predator exclusion techniques (caged vs. open plots) to examine changes in M. arenaria survival and growth. At the conclusion of the study, survival of transplanted clams and abundance of ambient bivalves were both significantly higher in caged plots as compared to open plots, indicating a significant contribution of predation to clam mortality. High mortality rates were observed in all caged and open plots, suggesting that environmental conditions also contributed to mortality. In addition, the most abundant ambient bivalves were Aligena elevata, a bivalve that lives commensally with a polychaete, and Tagelus plebeius, a deep-dwelling bivalve. These two species appear to have developed mechanisms to survive in the face of predation pressures and were the species most suited to the Lynnhaven River System. Substrate type did not affect transplanted clam survival, though diversity of ambient clams was highest in gravel habitats. The results of this study indicate that future restoration efforts for M. arenaria in the Lynnhaven river system are likely to be most successful at establishing a resident population of M. arenaria if deeper, cooler-water locations are used and significant predator-exclusion cages or substantial amounts of structural substrate are used

Seasonal Variation in Sea Turtle Density and Abundance in the Southeast Florida Current and Surrounding Waters.

Assessment and management of sea turtle populations is often limited by a lack of available data pertaining to at-sea distributions at appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions. Assessing the spatial and temporal distributions of marine turtles in an open system poses both observational and analytical challenges due to the turtles' highly migratory nature. Surface counts of marine turtles in waters along the southern part of Florida's east coast were made in and adjacent to the southeast portion of the Florida Current using standard aerial surveys during 2011 and 2012 to assess their seasonal presence. This area is of particular concern for sea turtles as interest increases in offshore energy developments, specifically harnessing the power of the Florida Current. While it is understood that marine turtles use these waters, here we evaluate seasonal variation in sea turtle abundance and density over two years. Density of sea turtles observed within the study area ranged from 0.003 turtles km-2 in the winter of 2011 to 0.064 turtles km-2 in the spring of 2012. This assessment of marine turtles in the waters off southeast Florida quantifies their in-water abundance across seasons in this area to establish baselines and inform future management strategies of these protected species

Study area for aerial surveys.

<p>Map includes an (a) inset of the United States of America and (b) the state of Florida showing the region for this study. Hatched area indicates extent of the survey area over which aerial surveys were conducted. Dotted lines representing the core of the Florida Current are meant as approximations for reference. Source: ArcWorld Supplement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.</p

Seasonal trend in sea turtle surface density with 95% confidence intervals estimated from conventional distance sampling analysis of aerial surveys.

<p>Turtle densities varied with season in both years. The large peak in spring 2012 corresponded with a larger than normal number of nesting loggerhead turtles.</p

Seasonal sightings of sea turtles from aerial surveys conducted in 2011–2012.

<p>Each symbol represents a single sea turtle. Dotted lines represent the approximate location of the core of the Florida Current. Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.</p