Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Blood and Scute Trace Element Concentrations in the Northern Great Barrier Reef

Marine turtles face numerous anthropogenic threats, including that of chemical contaminant exposure. The ecotoxicological impact of toxic metals is a global issue facing Chelonia mydas in coastal sites. Local investigation of C. mydas short‐term blood metal profiles is an emerging field, while littl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental toxicology and chemistry 2023-11, Vol.42 (11), p.2375-2388
Main Authors: Wilkinson, Adam, Ariel, Ellen, Merwe, Jason, Brodie, Jon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthropogenic factors
Aquatic reptiles
Blood
Chelonia mydas
Chemical pollution
Contaminants
Ecotoxicology
Environmental toxicology
Human influences
Intervals
Metal accumulation
Metal concentrations
Metals
Populations
Principal components analysis
Toxicology
Trace elements
Tropical ecotoxicology
Water quality
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Summary:Marine turtles face numerous anthropogenic threats, including that of chemical contaminant exposure. The ecotoxicological impact of toxic metals is a global issue facing Chelonia mydas in coastal sites. Local investigation of C. mydas short‐term blood metal profiles is an emerging field, while little research has been conducted on scute metal loads as potential indicators of long‐term exposure. The aim of the present study was to investigate and describe C. mydas blood and scute metal profiles in coastal and offshore populations of the Great Barrier Reef. This was achieved by analyzing blood and scute material sampled from local C. mydas populations in five field sites, for a suite of ecologically relevant metals. By applying principal component analysis and comparing coastal sample data with those of reference intervals derived from the control site, insight was gleaned on local metal profiles of each population. Blood metal concentrations in turtles from coastal sites were typically elevated when compared with levels recorded in the offshore control population (Howick Island Group). Scute metal profiles were similar in Cockle Bay, Upstart Bay, and Edgecumbe Bay, all of which were distinct from that of Toolakea. Some elements were reported at similar concentrations in blood and scutes, but most were higher in scute samples, indicative of temporal accumulation. Coastal C. mydas populations may be at risk of toxic effects from metals such as Co, which was consistently found to be at concentrations magnitudes above region‐specific reference intervals. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:2375–2388. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
ISSN:0730-7268
1552-8618
DOI:10.1002/etc.5718