1) Kampalath, Rita et al. "Total and Methylmercury in Three Species of Sea Turtles of Baja California Sur." Marine Pollution Bulletin 52.12 (2006): 1816-1823.
-Mercury, in aquatic systems, is turned into methylmercury which is a serious toxin for marine organisms. This study illuminates the unstudied area of methylmercury concentrations in the tissues of three species of sea turtle. The researchers look at liver, kidney, muscle, and adipose tissue and their tendencies to accumulate this toxin. This research provides solid data on a pollutant that can be seen very clearly in an animal like the sea turtle because of its long life span and tendency to ingest materials. I can use this in my analysis of how pollutants cause harm to sea turtles.
2) Mascarenhas, Rita, Robson Santos, and Douglas Zeppelini. "Plastic Debris Ingestion by Sea Turtle in Paraiba, Brazil." Marine Pollution Bulletin 49.4 (2004): 354-355.
-This is a relatively short article and small study, but focuses on two sea turtles found dead along the coast of Paraiba, Brazil. Previously, not much research had looked into death of sea turtles because of marine debris. In the stomachs of these turtles they found plastic debris, which was the probable cause of death. This is a simple study that supports my thesis.
3) Gardner, Susan et al. "Organochlorine Contaminants in Sea Turtles from the Eastern Pacific." Marine Pollution Bulletin 46.9 (2003): 1082-1089.
-This research looks into the pesticide concentrations in different tissues in three species of sea turtle. They also look at PCB concentrations, which have shown to be toxic in other organisms. They investigate these toxins in several different tissues including the liver, kidneys, and fat tissues. This article will be support for my analysis of harmful chemicals in the marine environment and why they’re particularly harmful for sea turtle populations.
4) Bugoni, Leandro, Ligia Krause, and Maria V. Petry. "Marine Debris and Human Impacts on Sea Turtles in Southern Brazil." Marine Pollution Bulletin 42.12 (2001): 1330-1334.
-Oil and plastics have become one of the main threats to marine life. This article aims to study this idea by analyzing dead stranded sea turtles that are recovered on the beach. They were able to look in the stomachs of three species of sea turtle where they found marine debris such as plastic bags. This data will be excellent support for my thesis on the biggest threats to sea turtle survival.
5) Bjorndal, Karen, Alan B. Bolten, and Cynthia Lagueux. "Ingestion of Marine Debris by Juvenile Sea Turtles in Coastal Florida Habitats." Marine Pollution Bulletin 28.3 (1994): 154-158.
-These researchers analyzed 51 sea turtles that washed up dead on Florida shores. They had three different species, most of which were green turtles. They looked at what types of debris were found in their stomachs, and found that at least 2 of them had died from this debris ingestion. They also found an interesting relationship between gender and debris ingestion. This research will provide sound support for my argument that marine debris ingestion is a serious threat to sea turtles.
6) Tomas, J. et al. "Marine Debris Ingestion in Loggerhead Sea Turtles. Caretta Caretta, from the Western Mediterranean." Marine Pollution Bulletin 44.3 (2001): 211-216.
-An illegal capture of 54 loggerhead sea turtles in Spanish Meditteranean waters posed an opportunity for analysis of debris ingestion in sea turtles. This article examines the different types and amounts of debris found in the stomachs and digestive tracts of these animals. No chemical analysis was done in this research to find physiological defects of the debris, but a proposal of how this ingestion could be negatively affecting sea turtles is stated. This research will be valuable to my paper in that it gives excellent statistical data of how marine pollution is affecting this animal on a big-picture scale.
7) Sheavly, SB, and KM Register. "Marine Debris & Plastics: Environmental Concerns, Sources, Impacts and Solutions." J Polym Environ 15 (2007): 301-305.
-This article supplies a thoughtful overview on the issue of marine pollution. It identifies some of the key players in hazardous accumulation of waste, and explains why marine pollution has only relatively recently become such a complex and dire issue. In addition to talking about sources, the impacts on wildlife are discussed as it pertains to entanglement and ingestion of pollutants. I will be able to use some of this information in my establishment of this overall problem, before going into the specificities I’ll be analyzing with sea turtles.
8) Guirlet, E., K. Das, and M. Girondot. "Maternal Transfer of Trace Elements in Leatherback Turtles (Dermochelys Coriacea) of French Guiana." Aquatic Toxicology 88.4 (2008): 267-276.
-This research examines leatherbeck turtle eggs and the contaminants they contain. A female turtle exposed to pollutants can ingest toxic chemicals and the chemicals can be transferred to her offspring. The researchers don’t look into long term effects of the four elements they look at, but find interesting results on what non-essential elements are accumulated in eggs. This study will be helpful to my paper because I can talk about how toxins in the sea water can be transferred to offspring and is predicted to have a deleterious effect on later fertility.
9) Hays, GC. "Sea Turtles: A Review of Some Key Recent Discoveries and Remaining Questions." Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 356.1-2 (2008): 1-7.
-This article gives a thorough overview on the methods used to study sea turtles. It talks about nesting, reproduction, and foraging patterns, as well as conservation tactics. Having this knowledge of current sea turtle research will allow me to incorporate more dynamic ideas into my research paper. It also gives ideas for future research, which I’ll talk about in my paper as well.
10) Andreani, G. et al. "Metal Distribution and Metallothionein in Loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) and Green (Chelonia Mydas) Sea Turtles." Science of the Total Environment 390.1 (2008): 287-294.
-This paper looks at metal accumulation in different tissues in two species of sea turtle. They also look at metallothionein’s role in binding metals, and consequently its use as a biomarkers for target metals, both toxic and non-toxic. They look at the kidney and liver specifically, and find a difference between the levels of elements between the two species. I will use this information to incorporate in my paper current methods in identifying toxins in sea turtles, and possibly some of their results and proposed conclusions.
11) Day, RD et al. "Relationship of Blood Mercury Levels to Health Parameters in the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta)." Environmental Health Perspectives 115.10 (2007): 1421-1428.
-This study delves into the analysis of blood mercury in sea turtles as it relates to their health. Mercury is a toxic environmental pollutant that has been shown to have harmful effects on humans and other animals. The researchers collected blood, without harm to the turtles, from turtles captured in the Florida coast area. They analyzed the blood mercury levels and compared them to levels of immune system cells, and found a negative coorelation. I can use this study to support my discussion about metal pollutants that are comprising the health and immune systems of sea turtles.
12) Talavera-Saenz, A. et al. "Metal Profiles Used as Environmental Markers of Green Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) Foraging Resources." Science of the Total Environment 373.1 (2007): 94-102.
-This article identifies a way to classify where sea turtles accumulate the metals in their tissues. The researchers basically compare metal concentrations in sea turtle tissue to marine plant metal concentrations. They find that in certain areas, metal concentrations are undoubtedly similar to plants in that area, and conclude that is where sea turtles do much of their feeding. I will be able to use the reports’ data on metal concentrations in tissues for support of my argument.
13) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA Fisheries- Office of Protected Resources. Aug. 2007. 10 Oct. 2008
-This division of NOAA gives a sound overview of sea turtle life and population information. It includes comprehensive links to research, threats, and conservation plans. The most useful information I’ve found is their page on marine debris specifically. Also, it is a good source for basic information on sea turtles that will be important to my paper.
14) Rios, Lorena M., Charles Moore, and Patrick R. Jones. "Persistent Organic Pollutants Carried by Synthetic Polymers in the Ocean Environment." Marine Pollution Bulletin 54 (2007): 1230-1237.
-Plastic products that have become so widely used end up in the ocean and are very damaging to marine ecosystems. This article gives a sound explanation of plastic and the harmful chemicals that are released in its breakdown in the sea. The researchers use the methods of collecting samples from the North Pacific Ocean and other sites, and analyzing them via chemical protocols. The chemical background they supply, as well as their results of different plastics in different areas of the ocean will be valuable in my analysis of the ocean environment and why sea turtles are being negatively affected.
15) Pichel, William G. et al. "Marine Debris Collects within the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone." Marine Pollution Bulletin 54 (2007): 1207-1211.
-This research was by inspired by the issue of being able to cost-effectively establish a method of locating where the majority of marine debris collects in the ocean. Several researchers with NOAA explain their method of using flight trips north of Hawaii and using aerial surveillance to get an idea of debris collection in the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone. They also record sealife observations in this area, in an attempt to relate sealife with debris collection. This article will be helpful to me because it gives a sound explanation of how marine debris can be located and quantified and how it can be directly correlated to the existence to marine life in the problem areas.
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