Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Marine Turtles as Sentinels of Ecosystem Health: Is Fibropapillomatosis an Indicator?

  • Special Section: Marine Sentinel Species
  • Published:
EcoHealth Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Marine turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a disease primarily affecting green turtles (Chelonia mydas) that is characterized by multiple cutaneous masses. In addition, the condition has been confirmed in other species of sea turtles. The disease has a worldwide, circumtropical distribution and has been observed in all major oceans. Although reported since the late 1930s in Florida, it was not until the late 1980s that it reached epizootic proportions in several sea turtle populations. Long-term studies have shown that pelagic turtles recruiting to near shore environments are free of the disease. After exposure to these benthic ecosystems, FP manifests itself with primary growths in the corner of the eyes spreading to other epithelial tissue. One or more herpesviruses, a papillomavirus, and a retrovirus have been found associated with tumors using electron microscopy and molecular techniques; however, the primary etiological agent remains to be isolated and characterized. Field observations support that the prevalence of the disease is associated with heavily polluted coastal areas, areas of high human density, agricultural runoff, and/or biotoxin-producing algae. Marine turtles can serve as excellent sentinels of ecosystem health in these benthic environments. FP can possibly be used as an indicator but correlations with physical and chemical characteristics of water and other factors need to be made. Further research in identifying the etiologic agent and its association with other environmental variables can provide sufficient parameters to measure the health of coastal marine ecosystems, which serve not only as ecotourism spots but also as primary feeding areas for sea turtles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • W Adnyana PW Ladds D Blair (1997) ArticleTitleObservations of fibropapillomatosis in green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Indonesia Australian Veterinary Journal 75 737–742

    Google Scholar 

  • Aguirre, AA (1991) Green turtle fibropapilloma: an epidemiologic perspective. In: Research Plan for Marine Turtle Fibropapilloma, Balazs GH, Pooley SG (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SWFSC-156, pp 107–113

  • AA Aguirre GH Balazs (2000) ArticleTitlePlasma biochemistry values of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) with and without fibropapillomas in the Hawaiian Islands Comparative Haematology International 10 132–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Aguirre, AA, Spraker, TR (1996) Pathology associated with cardiovascular trematodes and fibropapillomas in juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from the Hawaiian Islands. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA-NMFS Administrative Report H-95-01C, Honolulu, Hawaii, 20 pp

  • AA Aguirre GH Balazs B Zimmerman FD Galey (1994a) ArticleTitleOrganic contaminants and trace metals in the tissues of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) afflicted with fibropapillomas in the Hawaiian Islands Marine Pollution Bulletin 28 109–114

    Google Scholar 

  • AA Aguirre GH Balazs B Zimmerman TR Spraker (1994b) ArticleTitleEvaluation of Hawaiian green turtles (Chelonia mydas) for potential pathogens associated with fibropapillomas Journal of Wildlife Diseases 30 8–15

    Google Scholar 

  • AA Aguirre GH Balazs TR Spraker TS Gross (1995) ArticleTitleAdrenal and hematological responses to stress in juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) with and without fibropapillomas Physiological Zoology 68 831–854

    Google Scholar 

  • AA Aguirre TR Spraker GH Balazs B Zimmerman (1998) ArticleTitleSpirorchidiasis and fibropapillomatosis in green turtles from the Hawaiian Islands Journal of Wildlife Diseases 34 91–98

    Google Scholar 

  • AA Aguirre TR Spraker A Chaves-Quiroz LA Toit Particledu GH Balazs (1999) ArticleTitleHistopathology of fibropapillomatosis in olive ridley turtles Lepidochelys olivacea nesting in Costa Rica Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 11 283–289

    Google Scholar 

  • Aguirre, AA, Limpus, CJ, Spraker, TR, Balazs, GH (2000a) Survey of fibropapillomatosis and other potential diseases in marine turtles from Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. In: Proceedings of the 19th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Conservation and Biology, Kalb H, Wibbels T (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-443, p 36

  • Aguirre, AA, Vasconcelos, Perez, J, Spraker, TR, Hernandez Saldafia, P, Principe, B, Albavera Padilla, E, et al. (2000b) Studies of marine turtle fibropapillomatosis in Mexico: an international collaboration of research and training. In: Proceedings of the 20th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Mosier A, Foley A, Brost B (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-477, p 50

  • Aguirre, AA, Spraker, TR, Morris, R, Powers, B, Zimmerman, B (2001) Low-grade fibrosarcomas in green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from the Hawaiian Islands. In: Proceedings of the 21st Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. U.S. Department of Commerce NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC (in press)

  • AA Aguirre TM O’Hara TR Spraker DA Jessup (2002) Monitoring the health and conservation of marine mammals and sea turtles and their ecosystems AA Aguirre RS Ostfeld GM Tabor CA House MC Pearl (Eds) Conservation Medicine: Ecological Health in Practice Oxford University Press New York 79–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Balazs, GH (1980) Synopsis of biological data on the green turtle in the Hawaiian Islands. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SWFSC-7, Honolulu, Hawaii, 141 pp

  • Balazs, GH, Pooley, SG (editors) (1991) Research plan for marine turtle fibropapilloma. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SWFSC-156, Honolulu, Hawaii, 113 pp

  • GH Balazs AA Aguirre SKK Murakawa (1997) ArticleTitleOccurrence of oral fibropapillomas in the Hawaiian green turtle: differential disease expression Marine Turtle Newsletter 76 1–2

    Google Scholar 

  • Balazs, GH, Murakawa, SKK, Ellis, DM, Aguirre, AA (2000) Manifestation of fibropapillomatosis and rates of growth of green turtles at Kaneohe Bay in the Hawaiian Islands. Proceedings of the 18th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Abreu-Grobois FA, Briseño-Dueñas R, Márquez R, Sarti L (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-436, pp 112–113

  • KA Bjorndal (1995) Biology and Conservation of Sea Turles Smithsonian Institution Press Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • DR Brown JK Lackovich PA Klein (1999) ArticleTitleFurther evidence for the absence of papillomaviruses from sea turtle fibropapillomas Veterinary Record 145 616–617

    Google Scholar 

  • TM Caro GO O’Doherty (1999) ArticleTitleOn the use of surrogate species in conservation biology Conservation Biology 13 805–814

    Google Scholar 

  • TW Campbell (1996) Sea turtle rehabilitation DR Mader (Eds) Reptile Medicine and Surgery W.B. Saunders Philadelphia 427–436

    Google Scholar 

  • RN Casey SL Quackenbush TM Work GH Balazs PR Bowser JW Casey (1997) ArticleTitleEvidence for retrovirus infections in green turtles Chelonia mydas from the Hawaiian Islands Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 31 1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornelius, SE, Robinson, DC (1983) Abundance, distribution, and movements of olive ridley sea turtles in Costa Rica, III. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Report 13, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 52 pp

  • C Cray R Varella GD Bossart PL Lutz (2002) ArticleTitleAltered in vitro immune responses in green turtles with fibropapillomatosis Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 32 436–440

    Google Scholar 

  • MD Dailey R Morris (1995) ArticleTitleRelationship of parasites (Trematoda: Spirorchidae) and their eggs to the occurrence of fibropapillomas in the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 52 84–89

    Google Scholar 

  • AF D’Amato M Moraes-Neto (2000) ArticleTitleFirst documentation of fibropapillomas verified by histopathology in Eretmochelys imbricata Marine Turtle Newsletter 89 12–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehrhart, LM, Redfoot, WE, Bagley, AB (2000) Green turtles in three developmental habitats of the Florida Atlantic Coast: population structure, fibropapillomatosis and post-juvenile migratory destinations. In: Proceedings of the 18th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Abreu-Grobois FA, Briseño-Dueñas R, Màrquez R, Sarti L (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-436, p 32

  • PJ Eliazar KA Bjorndal AB Bolten (2000) ArticleTitleEarly report of fibropapilloma from St. Croix, USVI Marine Turtle Newsletter 89 16

    Google Scholar 

  • Fick, K, Redlow, T, Foley, A, Singel, K (2000) The distribution of stranded green turtles with fibropapillomas in the Eastern United States, 1980–1998. In: Proceedings of the 19th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Conservation and Biology, Kalb H, Wibbels T (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-443, p 236

  • Gamache, N, Horrocks, J (1992) Fibropapilloma disease in green turtles, Chelonia mydas, around Barbados, West Indies. In: Proceedings of the 11th Annual Workshop on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Salmon M, Wyneken J (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-302, pp 158–160

  • George, RH (1997) Health problems and diseases of sea turtles. In: The Biology of Sea Turtles, Lutz, PL, Musick, JA (editors), Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, pp 363–385

  • Harshbarger, JC (1991) Sea turtle fibropapilloma cases in the registry of tumors in lower animals. In: Research Plan for Marine Turtle Fibropapilloma, Balazs, GH, Pooley, SG (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SWFSC-156, pp 63–70

  • LH Herbst (1994) ArticleTitleFibropapillomatosis of marine turtles Annual Review of Fish Diseases 4 389–425

    Google Scholar 

  • LH Herbst PA Klein (1995a) ArticleTitleGreen turtle fibropapillomatosis: challenges to assessing the role of environmental cofactors Environmental Health Perspectives 103 IssueIDSuppl 4 27–30

    Google Scholar 

  • LH Herbst PA Klein (1995b) ArticleTitleMonoclonal antibodies for the measurement of class-specific antibody responses in the green turtle, Chelonia mydas Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 46 317–335

    Google Scholar 

  • LH Herbst ER Jacobson R Moretti T Brown JP Sundberg PA Klein (1995) ArticleTitleExperimental transmission of green turtle fibropapillomatosis using cell-free tumor extracts Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 22 1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • LH Herbst R Moretti T Brown PA Klein (1996) ArticleTitleSensitivity of the transmissible green turtle fibropapillomatosis agent to chloroform and ultracentrifugation conditions Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 25 225–228

    Google Scholar 

  • LH Herbst ER Jacobson PA Klein GH Balazs R Moretti T Brown et al. (1998) ArticleTitleComparative pathology and pathogenesis of spontaneous and experimentally induced fibropapillomas of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) Veterinary Pathology 36 551–564

    Google Scholar 

  • S Hirama LM Ehrhart (1999) ArticleTitlePrevalence and severity of green turtle fibropapillomatosis in the Indian River lagoon Florida Scientist 62 35

    Google Scholar 

  • Huerta, P, Pineda, H, Aguirre, AA, Spraker, TR, Sarti, L, Barragan, A (2000) First confirmed case of fibropapilloma in a leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). In: Proceedings of the 20th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Mosier, A, Foley, A, Brost, B (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SESFC-477, p 193

  • ER Jacobson JL Mansell JP Sundberg L Hajarr ME Reichmann LM Ehrhart et al. (1989) ArticleTitleCutaneous fibropapillomas of green turtles, Chelonia mydas Journal of Comparative Pathology 101 39–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurz, SK, Aguirre, AA (2000) Representational difference analysis reveals tumor-specific viral sequences in Chelonia mydas with fibropapillomatosis. In 25th International Herpesvirus Workshop, Oregon Health Science University, Portland Oregon

  • JK Lackovich DR Brown BL Homer RL Garber DR Mader RH Moretti et al. (1999) ArticleTitleAssociation of herpesvirus with fibropapillomatosis of the green turtle Chelonia mydas and the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta in Florida Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 37 889–897

    Google Scholar 

  • Lackovich, JK, Brown, DR, Homer, BL, Garber, RL, Mader, DR, Moretti, RH, et al. (2000) Association of a new chelonid herpesvirus with fibropapillomas of the green turtle, Chelonia mydas, and the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta. In: Proceedings of the 18th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Abreu-Grobois, FA, Briseño-Dueñas, R, Márquez, R, Sarti, L (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFC-436, pp 273–274

  • Lagueux, CJ, Campbell, CL, Herbst, LH (1998) Characterization of fibropapilloma occurrence in a Nicaraguan green turtle fishery. In: Proceedings of the 16th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Byles, R, Fernandez, Y (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFC-412, p 90

  • JH Landsberg GH Balazs KA Steidinger DG Baden TH Work DJ Russel (1999) ArticleTitleThe potential role of natural tumor promoters in marine turtle fibropapillomatosis Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 11 199–210

    Google Scholar 

  • Limpus, CJ, Miller, JD (1994) The occurrence of cutaneous fibropapillomas in marine turtles in Queensland. In: Proceedings of the Australian Marine Turtle Conservation Workshop, 14–17 November 1990. Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage and The Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Brisbane, Australia, pp 186–188

  • Y Lu AA Aguirre TM Work GH Balazs VR Nerurkar R Yanagihara (2000a) ArticleTitleIdentification of a small, naked virus in tumor-like aggregates in cell lines derived from a green turtle, Chelonia mydas, with fibropapillomas Journal of Virological Methods 86 25–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Y Lu Y Wang Q Yu AA Aguirre GH Balazs VR Nerurkar et al. (2000b) ArticleTitleDetection of herpesviral sequences in tissues of green turtles with fibropapilloma by polymerase chain reaction Archives of Virology 145 1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • YN Lu QG Yu JP Zamzow Y Wang GS Losey GH Balazs et al. (2000c) ArticleTitleDetection of green turtle herpesviral sequence in saddleback wrasse Thalassoma duperrey: a possible mode of transmission of green turtle fibropapilloma Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 12 58–63

    Google Scholar 

  • B Lucké (1938) ArticleTitleStudies on tumors in cold-blooded vertebrates Annual Report of the Tortugas Laboratory of the Camegie Institute 1937 IssueID–38 92–94

    Google Scholar 

  • ME Lutcavage PL Lutz GD Bossart DM Hudson (1995) ArticleTitlePhysiologic and clinicopathologic effects of crude oil on loggerhead sea turtles Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 28 417–422

    Google Scholar 

  • M Lutcavage P Plotkin B Witherington PL Lutz (1997) Human impacts on sea turtle survival PL Lutz JA Musick (Eds) The Biology of Sea Turtles CRC Press Boca Raton, FL 387–410

    Google Scholar 

  • PL Lutz (1997) Salt, water and pH balance in sea turtles PL Lutz JA Musick (Eds) The Biology of Sea Turtles CRC Press Boca Raton, FL 343–362

    Google Scholar 

  • Lutz, PL (1998) Health related sea turtle physiology. Report of the Sea Turtle Health Assessment Workshop, Fair, P, Hansen, LJ (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS-NCCOS-CCEHBR-0003, pp 45–49

  • Lutz, PL, Cray, C, Sposato, P (2001) Studies on the association between immunosuppression and fibropapillomatosis within three habitats of Chelonia mydas. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum H-01-01C 2001

  • Matsushima, ER, Filho, AL, di Loretto, C, Kanamura, CT, Gallo, B, Baptisotte, C (2000) Cutaneous papillomas of green turtles: A morphological and immunohistochemical study in Brazillian specimens. In: Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Conservation and Biology, Kalb, H, Wibbels, T (compilers), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFCS-443, pp. 237–239

  • Moncada, F, Prieto, A (2000) Incidence of fibropapillomas in the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in Cuban waters. In: Proceedings of the 19th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Conservation and Biology, Kalb H, Wibbels T (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-443, pp 40–41

  • TM Norton ER Jacobson JP Sundberg (1990) ArticleTitleCutaneous fibropapillomas and renal myxofibroma in a green turtle, Chelonia mydas Journal of Wildlife Diseases 26 265–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Pugh, RS, Becker, PR (2001) Sea Turtle Contaminants: a Review with Annotated Bibliography. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, NISTIR 6700, 144 pp

  • SL Quackenbush TM Work GH Balazs RN Casey J Rovnak A Chaves et al. (1998) ArticleTitleThree closely related herpesviruses are associated with fibropapillomatosis in marine turtles Virology 246 392–399

    Google Scholar 

  • SL Quackenbush RN Casey RJ Murcek TA Paul TM Work CJ Limpus et al. (2001) ArticleTitleQuantitative analysis of herpesvirus sequences from normal tissue and fibropapillomas of marine turtles with real-time PCR Virology 287 105–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Raidal, SR, Prince, RIT (1996) “First confirmation of multiple fibropapillomas in a western Australian green turtle (Chelonia mydas)” Marine Turtle Newsletter 74: 7–9

    Google Scholar 

  • H Sakai K Saeki H Ichihashi H Suganuma S Tanabe R Tatsukawa (2000) ArticleTitleSpecies specific distribution of heavy metals in tissues and organs of loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and green turtle (Chelonia mydas) from Japanese coastal waters Marine Pollution Bulletin 40 701–709

    Google Scholar 

  • GM Smith CW Coates (1938) ArticleTitleFibro-epithelial growths of the skin in large marine turtles, Chelonia mydas (Linneaus) Zoologica (NY) 23 93–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Sposato, PL, Lutz, PL, Cray, C (2002) A comparative approach in determining health status of chelonians with respect to avian and mammalian medicine. In: Proceedings of the 21st Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC (in press)

  • GM Tabor RS Ostfeld M Poss AP Dobson AA Aguirre (2001) Conservation biology and the health sciences: defining the research priorities of conservation medicine ME Soulé GH Orians (Eds) Research Priorities in Conservation Biology EditionNumber2nd edition Island Press Washington, DC 165–173

    Google Scholar 

  • DR VanDevanter P Warrener L Bennett ER Schultz S Coulter RL Garber et al. (1996) ArticleTitleDetection and analysis of diverse herpes-viral species by consensus primer PCR Journal of Clinical Microbiology 34 1666–1671

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasconcelos, J, Albavera, E, Lopez, EM, Hernandez, P, Peñaflores, C (2000) First assessment on tumors incidence in nesting females of olive ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea, at La Escobilla Beach, Oaxaca, Mexico. In: Proceedings of the 18th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Conservation and Biology, Abreu-Grobois FA, Briseño-Dueñas R, Márquez-Millán R, Sarti-Martinez L (editors), U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-436, pp 276–278

  • EH Williams SuffixJr L Bunkley-Williams EC Peters B Pinto-Rodriguez R Matos-Morales AA Mignucci-Griannoni et al. (1994) ArticleTitleAn epizootic of cutaneous fibropapillomas in green turtles Chelonia mydas of the Caribbean: part of a panzootic? Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 6 70–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Work, TM, Balazs, GH (1998) Causes of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) morbidity and mortality in Hawaii. In: Proceedings of the 17th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-415, pp 291–292

  • TM Work GH Balazs (1999) ArticleTitleRelating tumor score to hematology in green turtles with fibropapillomatosis in Hawaii Journal of Wildlife Diseases 35 804–807

    Google Scholar 

  • TM Work GH Balazs RA Rameyer SP Chang J Berestecky (2000) ArticleTitleAssessing humoral and cell-mediated immune response in Hawaiian green turtles, Chelonia mydas Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 74 179–194

    Google Scholar 

  • TM Work RA Rameyer GH Balazs C Cray SP Chang (2001) ArticleTitleImmune status of free-ranging green turtles with fibropapillomatosis from Hawaii Journal of Wildlife Diseases 38 574–581

    Google Scholar 

  • Q Yu Y Lu VR Nerurkar R Yanagihara (2000) ArticleTitleStudies on the turtle tumor susceptibility gene TSG101: full-length cDNA sequence, genomic structural analysis, and role in green turtle fibropapilloma Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 12 274–282

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wildlife Trust, Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964-8000

    A. Alonso Aguirre

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431

    Peter L. Lutz

Authors
  1. A. Alonso Aguirre
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Peter L. Lutz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Alonso Aguirre.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Aguirre, A.A., Lutz, P.L. Marine Turtles as Sentinels of Ecosystem Health: Is Fibropapillomatosis an Indicator?. EcoHealth 1, 275–283 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-004-0097-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-004-0097-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation