GENETIC DIVERSITY OF LOGGERHEAD TURTLES (Caretta caretta)

STRANDED ON THE URUGUAYAN COAST; CONTRIBUTIONS

TOWARDS THE CONSERVATION OF THE SPECIES IN THE
SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN
Juan Cardozo1, 2, Ma. Noel Caraccio 2, 3, Alejandro Márquez 3, 4 & Susana González 1

1 Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), 3318 Av. Italia, PO 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay. 2 Karumbé, Tortugas Marinas del Uruguay. 3245 Rivera, PO 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay. 3 Laboratorio de Genética
Pesquera, Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos (DINARA). 1497 Constituyente, PO 11200, Montevideo, Uruguay. 4 UMEB-NSAT, Facultad de Ciencias (UdelaR). 4225 Iguá, PO 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay.

INTRODUCTION
As in other sea turtles, the life cycle of loggerheads
(Caretta caretta) occurs between nesting beaches and
feeding and development areas, exhibiting long
generation times and large-scale migrations.
Uruguayan waters are an important feeding and
development area for this species, where individuals in
the juvenile and subadult stages dominate. Turtles
from various geographical origins converge in the
area, forming a mixed stock dominated by hatchlings
from Brazilian nesting colonies (Caraccio et al., 2008).
In turn, the highest rates of turtle bycatch by industrial
fisheries in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SWAO)
have been recorded in Uruguayan waters (Giffoni et
al., 2008); making this region a priority where
conservation efforts on the species should be focused.
Figure 1. Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta). Photo: NGO Karumbé
OBJECTIVE
Characterize the genetic variability of stranded
loggerhead turtles in the Uruguayan coast and infer
the geographic origin of individuals through the
analysis of the control region (D-loop) of mitochondrial
DNA.
METHODS
The study area covers the coastline of Uruguay from
Montevideo ( 34 ° 58 'S, 56 ° 56'W ) to Barra del Chuy
( 33 ° 44 ' S , 53 ° 22 ' W) locations (see figure 2).
Tissue samples were collected by the NGO Karumbé
from 65 individuals stranded between 2001 and 2011.
The sample was compounded by 59% juveniles or
subadults, 15% adults and 26% indeterminate
individuals; using as reference the minimum size of
females from the nearest nesting colonies in Brazil
(average LCC = 83 cm; Marcovaldi & Chaloupka,
2007). In the laboratory, DNA extraction was
performed and 800 bp sequences of the control D-loop
region (mtDNA) were amplified by PCR. To determine
the corresponding haplotypes and infer the geographic
origin of individuals, the data were compared with
nucleotide sequences deposited in the database of the
Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research.
Figure 2. Map of the study area with locations where samples were collected. Source: own elboration.

REFERENCE
Brazilian haplotypes
Mediterranean/South African haplotype
Australian haplotype

South
America

Africa

Figure 4. Haplotype network that shows the relationship between them expressed by the numer of nulceotidic differences; Figure 4. Surface currents in the South Atlantic Ocean. The red circle indicates the study area. Source: scheme modified from Ksepka &
haplotypes closely related (less nucleotidic differences) are displayed closer in the network . The size of the circles is Thomas, 2012.
proportional to the frequency of each haplotype Source: own elaboration with Network.4.2 software.

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

Seven haplotypes defined by 45 polimorphic sites (CC-A2.1; CC-A4.1; CC-A4.2; CC-A4.3; CC-A24.1; CC-A25.1; CC-P1.1) were identified, and the expanded sequence of haplotype CC-A25.1 –present in Brazilian
nesting colonies– was characterized for the first time; where the total sample shows moderate levels of haplotype diversity (H=0.612+/-0.048) and low nucelotide diversity (πn=0.004+/-0.001). Almost all individuals
analyzed (n=62) came from nesting colonies in Brazil; although other haplotypes like CC-A2.1 (n=2) (Mediterranean Sea/South Africa) and CC-P1.1 (n=1) (Australia) typically found in remote locations (see figure 3).
In this sense, recruitment of individuals in Uruguayan waters seems to be largely influenced by marine current systems, where the warm Brazil current acts as a North to South migratory corridor for individuals born
in the nearest nesting colonies located in Brazil (see figure 4). These results show the importance of the area for the sustainability of Brazilian populations, providing support for the designation of the SWAO as a
Regional Management Unit (RMU) (Wallace et al., 2010). Likewise, the presence of haplotypes from distant origins shows the importance of the area for populations on a global scale, and demonstrates the need for
conservation actions in the SWAO that consider the complex population dynamics of the species. In this context, a joint effort between Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay is needed in order to advance in the design and
implementation of a regional conservation plan for the species in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean.

REFERENCES
CARACCIO MN., DOMINGO A., MÁRQUEZ A., NARO-MACIEL E., MILLER P., y PEREIRA A. (2008). Las aguas del Atlántico sudoccidental y su importancia en el ciclo de vida de la tortuga cabezona (Caretta caretta): Evidencias a través del análisis del ADNmt. Col Vol Sci Pap. ICCAT. 62(6): 1831–1837.
GIFFONI B., DOMINGO A., SALES G., FIEDLER F. y MILLER P. (2008). Interacción de tortugas marinas (Caretta caretta y Dermochelys coriacea) con la pesca de palangre pelágico en el Atlántico Sudoccidental: Una perspectiva regional para la conservación. Col Vol Sci Pap. ICCAT. 62(6): 1861–1870.
KSEPKA, D & THOMAS, D. (2012). Multiple cenozoic invasions of Africa by penguins (Aves, Sphenisciformes). Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 279: 1027-1036.
MARCOVALDI, M. & CHALOUPKA, M. (2007). Conservation status of the loggerhead sea turtle in Brazil: an encouraging outlook. Endanger Species Research. 3: 133–143.
WALLACE, B., DIMATTEO, A., HURLEY, B., FINKBEINER, E., BOLTEN, A., CHALOUPKA, M., HUTCHINSON, B., et al. (2010). Regional Management Units for Marine Turtles : A Novel Framework for Prioritizing Conservation and Research across Multiple Scales. PLoS ONE. 5(12).