Potential foraging and aggregation zones of the Hawksbill Sea Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata (Testudines: Cheloniidae), near Marino Ballena National Park, Costa Rica

Groups of hawksbill sea turtles have been observed over the years, close to the coast of the Marino Ballena National Park. For this reason, in February 2015, we monitored its coast to identify aggregation sites. Turtle size estimates, and identification, were done by direct observation by the divers and from the boat. From February to December 2015, fourteen monitor records per sampling point were done and 41 turtles were recorded. They were 30cm - 80cm long and 59% of the individuals aggregated in one sample point. Five genera of sponges were registered as potential food: Haliclona sp, Spirastrella sp, Mycale sp, Aplyscina sp and Axinella sp and one tunicate, Rhopalaea birkelandi. The E. imbricata population was mainly composed of juveniles, and the turtles were found in zones where they have not been previously reported.

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First field observation of the predation by Jaguar (Panthera onca) on Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) at Nancite Beach, Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica

Mammalogy Notes ◽

10.47603/manovol3n1.20-23 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 20-23

Author(s):

Sergio Escobar-Lasso ◽

Luis Fonseca ◽

Wilbert N. Villachica ◽

Hansel Herrera ◽

Roldán A. Valverde ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Sea Turtles ◽

Chelonia Mydas ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Dermochelys Coriacea ◽

Olive Ridley ◽

Eretmochelys Imbricata ◽

Lepidochelys Olivacea ◽

Santa Rosa National Park ◽

Key Resources

Jaguars have been recorded preying on adult female sea turtles on their nesting beaches in Costa Rica, Guyana, Mexico and Suriname (Fretey 1977, Autar 1994, Cuevas et al. 2014, Guildera et al. 2015). Jaguars prey on Green (Chelonia mydas), Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtles (see Fretey 1977, Autar 1994, Carrillo et al. 1994, Chinchilla 1997, Tröeng 2000, Heithaus et al. 2008, Veríssimo et al. 2012, Arroyo-Arce et al. 2014, Cuevas et al. 2014, Arroyo-Arce & Salom-Pérez 2015, Guildera et al. 2015). The capture effort and risk of injury associated with the predation of nesting sea turtles is expected to be lower relative to other prey species in the jaguar’s diet (Cavalcanti & Gese 2010). Additionally, they can be key resources when other pr ey availability is low (Veríssimo et al. 2012).

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Chelonicola and Poulinea, two new gomphonemoid diatom genera (Bacillariophyta) living on marine turtles from Costa Rica

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.233.3.2 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 233 (3) ◽

pp. 236 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Roksana Majewska ◽

J. P. Kociolek ◽

Evan W. Thomas ◽

Mario De Stefano ◽

Mario Santoro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Marine Mammals ◽

Sea Turtles ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

New Genera ◽

Olive Ridley ◽

Lepidochelys Olivacea ◽

Marine Turtles ◽

The Family ◽

Long Time

Marine mammals such as whales and dolphins have been known for a long time to host a very specific epizoic community on their skin. Less known however is the presence of a similar community on the carapaces of sea turtles. The present study is the first describing new taxa inhabiting sea turtle carapaces. Samples, collected from nesting olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) on Ostional Beach (Costa Rica), were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. Two unknown small-celled gomphonemoid taxa were analysed in more detail and are described as two new genera, closely related to other gomphonemoid genera with septate girdle bands, such as Tripterion, Cuneolus and Gomphoseptatum. Chelonicola Majewska, De Stefano & Van de Vijver gen. nov. has a flat valve face, uniseriate striae composed of more than three areolae, simple external raphe endings, internally a siliceous flap over the proximal raphe endings and lives on mucilaginous stalks. Poulinea Majewska, De Stefano & Van de Vijver gen. nov. has at least one concave valve, uniseriate striae composed of only two elongated areolae, external distal raphe endings covered by thickened siliceous flaps and lives attached to the substrate by a mucilaginous pad. Chelonicola costaricensis Majewska, De Stefano & Van de Vijver sp. nov. and Poulinea lepidochelicola Majewska, De Stefano & Van de Vijver sp. nov. can be separated based on stria structure, girdle structure composed of more than 10 copulae, raphe structure and general valve outline. A cladistics analysis of putative members of the Rhoicospheniaceae indicates that the family is polyphyletic. Chelonicola and Poulinea are sister taxa, and form a monophyletic group with Cuneolus and Tripterion, but are not closely related to Rhoicosphenia, or other genera previously assigned to this family. Features used to help diagnose the family such as symmetry and presence of septa and pseudosepta are homoplastic across the raphid diatom tree of life.

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15. PARQUE MARINO LAS BAULAS: CONSERVATION LESSONS FROM A NEW NATIONAL PARK AND FROM 45 YEARS OF CONSERVATION OF SEA TURTLES IN COSTA RICA

Biodiversity Conservation in Costa Rica ◽

10.1525/9780520937772-016 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 194-209

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

National Park ◽

Sea Turtles

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Case Study: The Evolution of Tourism and Sea Turtle Conservation at Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

Sea Turtle Research and Conservation ◽

10.1016/b978-0-12-821029-1.00011-8 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 105-111

Author(s):

Jimena Gutiérrez-Lince ◽

Michelle Dorantes Palacios ◽

Roldán A. Valverde

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

National Park ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Turtle Conservation ◽

Sea Turtle Conservation

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Terlinguachelys fischbecki, a new genus and species of sea turtle (Chelonioidea: Protostegidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Texas

Journal of Paleontology ◽

10.1017/s0022336000043973 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 78 (6) ◽

pp. 1163-1178 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Thomas M. Lehman ◽

Susan L. Tomlinson

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Upper Cretaceous ◽

New Genus ◽

Sea Turtles ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Unique Combination ◽

New Genus And Species ◽

Big Bend National Park ◽

Big Bend ◽

Lower Jaw

Remains of a large sea turtle, Terlinguachelys fischbecki n. gen. and sp., were recovered from paralic deposits of the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Aguja Formation in Big Bend National Park, Texas. T. fischbecki is a primitive protostegid that retains a constricted humerus, well ossified plastron and costals, prominent retroarticular process on the lower jaw, and long slender femora; however, it has some features, such as a prominent tubercle at the base of the scapular acromion process, found elsewhere only in derived leatherback sea turtles. The unique combination of primitive and derived traits in T. fischbecki illustrates further diversity among Cretaceous sea turtles and another case of parallelism common in sea turtle phylogeny.

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Population dynamic between vulnerable coastal jaguars (Panthera onca) and endangered green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica.

10.7287/peerj.preprints.26915 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Stephanie Butera ◽

Jaime Restrepo

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Sea Turtles ◽

Chelonia Mydas ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Predator Prey ◽

Green Sea Turtles ◽

Turtle Population ◽

Nest Depredation ◽

The Impact ◽

Nest Predators

New-born sea turtles face a number of predators between the time the mothers lay eggs on the beach to when the hatchlings grow into larger juveniles. Nest depredation impacts reproductive success of nesting sea turtles, reducing the number of new turtles that make it to the sea. On Tortuguero beach nest predators include; dogs, coati, and raccoons. Nest depredation within Tortuguero National Park (TNP) has decreased dramatically since 1979. This decrease in nest depredation is linked to the increased jaguar population within TNP as the aforementioned species are considered the jaguars natural prey. Although jaguars prey on nesting turtles, they also control the populations of nest predators. Even more, jaguars have been demonstrated to change their behaviour to suit their preference in prey species therefore the nest predator distribution in TNP was examined to investigate whether changes in jaguar prey preference had an effect. Nest predation and the number of adult turtles lost to jaguar depredation were examined to determine the significance of the threat jaguars pose to the sea turtle population. This study investigates the predator prey relationship between jaguars, nest predators, and nesting female sea turtles; aiming to assessing the impact that jaguars have on the turtle's population.

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Distribution and hotspots of the feeding areas of jaguars on sea turtles at a national park in Costa Rica

Neotropical Biology and Conservation ◽

10.4013/nbc.2017.121.01 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sergio Escobar-Lasso ◽

Margarita Gil-Fernández ◽

Joel Sáenz ◽

Eduardo Carrillo-Jiménez ◽

Grace Wong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

National Park ◽

Sea Turtles

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Lipid profiling suggests species specificity and minimal seasonal variation in Pacific Green and Hawksbill Turtle plasma

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0253916 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (7) ◽

pp. e0253916

Author(s):

Chelsea E. Clyde-Brockway ◽

Christina R. Ferreira ◽

Elizabeth A. Flaherty ◽

Frank V. Paladino

Keyword(s):

Sea Turtles ◽

Multiple Reaction Monitoring ◽

Chelonia Mydas ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Lipid Classes ◽

Plasma Samples ◽

Lipid Profiling ◽

Eretmochelys Imbricata ◽

Species Specific ◽

Hawksbill Turtles

In this study, we applied multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-profiling to explore the relative ion intensity of lipid classes in plasma samples from sea turtles in order to profile lipids relevant to sea turtle physiology and investigate how dynamic ocean environments affect these profiles. We collected plasma samples from foraging green (Chelonia mydas, n = 28) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata, n = 16) turtles live captured in North Pacific Costa Rica in 2017. From these samples, we identified 623 MRMs belonging to 10 lipid classes (sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine, free fatty acid, cholesteryl ester, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, ceramide, and triacylglyceride) and one metabolite group (acyl-carnitine) present in sea turtle plasma. The relative ion intensities of most lipids (80%) were consistent between species, across seasons, and were not correlated to body size or estimated sex. Of the differences we observed, the most pronounced was the differences in relative ion intensity between species. We identified 123 lipids that had species-specific relative ion intensities. While some of this variability is likely due to green and hawksbill turtles consuming different food items, we found indications of a phylogenetic component as well. Of these, we identified 47 lipids that varied by season, most belonging to the structural phospholipid classes. Overall, more lipids (n = 39) had higher relative ion intensity in the upwelling (colder) season compared to the non-upwelling season (n = 8). Further, we found more variability in hawksbill turtles than green turtles. Here, we provide the framework in which to apply future lipid profiling in the assessment of health, physiology, and behavior in endangered sea turtles.

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Quantifying Illegal Extraction of Sea Turtles in Costa Rica

Frontiers in Conservation Science ◽

10.3389/fcosc.2021.705556 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

Author(s):

Helen Pheasey ◽

George Glen ◽

Nicole L. Allison ◽

Luis G. Fonseca ◽

Didiher Chacón ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Sea Turtles ◽

Chelonia Mydas ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Wildlife Trade ◽

Caribbean Coast ◽

Turtle Species ◽

Illegal Wildlife Trade ◽

The Caribbean ◽

The Impact

Estimates of illegal wildlife trade vary significantly and are often based on incomplete datasets, inferences from CITES permits or customs seizures. As a result, annual global estimates of illegal wildlife trade can vary by several billions of US dollars. Translating these figures into species extraction rates is equally challenging, and estimating illegal take accurately is not achievable for many species. Due to their nesting strategies that allow for census data collection, sea turtles offer an exception. On the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, three sea turtle species (leatherback, Dermochelys coriacea; green, Chelonia mydas; and hawksbill, Eretmochelys imbricata) are exploited by poachers. Despite the consumption of turtle eggs and meat being illegal, they are consumed as a cultural food source and seasonal treat. Conservation programmes monitor nesting beaches, collect abundance data and record poaching events. Despite the availability of robust long-term datasets, quantifying the rate of poaching has yet to be undertaken. Using data from the globally important nesting beach, Tortuguero, as well as beaches Playa Norte and Pacuare on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, we modelled the spatial and temporal distribution of poaching of the three sea turtle species. Here, we present data from 2006 to 2019 on a stretch of coastline covering c.37 km. We identified poaching hotspots that correlated with populated areas. While the poaching hotspots persisted over time, we found poaching is declining at each of our sites. However, we urge caution when interpreting this result as the impact of poaching varies between species. Given their low abundance on these beaches, the poaching pressure on leatherback and hawksbill turtles is far greater than the impact on the abundant green turtles. We attribute the decline in poaching to supply-side conservation interventions in place at these beaches. Finally, we highlight the value of data sharing and collaborations between conservation NGOs.

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