Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Page, Annie

Abstract

In the inter-coastal waters of Florida, green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are regularly exposed to regional blooms of harmful algae which produce biotoxins. A retrospective analysis was conducted on stranded green sea turtles along the Indian River Lagoon, FL, USA. Stranding, necropsy, and histopathology reports were analyzed for 40 juvenile turtles. Liver (N=40) and kidney (N=36) tissues were analyzed for a suite of 14 harmful algal bloom (HAB)-associated biotoxins. Thirty-four (85%) turtles tested positive for at least one biotoxin, including 21(53%) liver and 22(61%) kidney tissues. Statistically significant relationships were identified between the presence of common histopathological abnormalities and biotoxins of: melanomacrophage/hyperplasia and brevetoxin-3 (P=0.03) in liver tissues, and renal fibrosis and nodularin (P = 0.04) and lymphocytosis and neosaxitoxin (P=0.03) in kidney tissues. These data demonstrate that wild turtles are commonly exposed to HAB-associated biotoxins with potential chronic health effects that contribute to strandings in the Indian River Lagoon.

Extent

84 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Thesis (MS)--Florida Atlantic University, 2023.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.

Identifier

FA00014363

Format

pdf

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