Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Page-Karjian, Annie

Abstract

In sea turtles, body condition can be evaluated through subjective body condition scoring (BCS), calculating body condition index (BCI), and clinical blood parameters. The goal of this study was to analyze ultrasonography of subcutaneous fat depth as a method to estimate body condition in 10 green and 8 loggerhead sea turtle carcasses using two types of portable ultrasound technologies, the Ibex Evo® and the Renco Lean-Meater®. Despite the general lack of significant correlations between ultrasound-assisted, gross, and histological measurements, the dorsal shoulder and lateral neck were determined to provide the most consistent images of subcutaneous fat. Florida live-captured green turtles were sampled and ultrasound-assisted fat depth measurements were taken at the dorsal shoulder region; however, there were no significant correlations found between fat depth and BCI or blood analytes (PCV, total protein). BCI reference quartiles were created using associations between BCI and BCS to help provide biological context to BCI data and allow for rapid categorization of sea turtle body condition.

Extent

83 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Thesis (MS)--Florida Atlantic University, 2021.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.

Identifier

FA00013747

Format

pdf

Download

Share

COinS