Ecosystem health and environmental influences on innate immune function in the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtle

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles recruit to nearshore environments as juveniles. These often degraded habitats are associated with emerging diseases such as green turtle fibropapillomatosis (GTFP), however there are few studies on immune function in sea turtles. The objective of this research was to
quantify phagocytosis of the innate immune system by flow cytometry and compare
levels between animals from a degraded habitat (the Indian River Lagoon, FL) to a more pristine environment (the Trident Basin, Port Canaveral, FL), and across a range of temperatures. While in vitro temperatures did not alter rates of phagocytosis, it was
higher in samples obtained in the summer than winter. Rates of phagocytosis in sea
turtles with GTFP and from degraded environments with increased prevalence of GTFP
were low compared to animals from the more pristine environment, suggesting that the
environment can alter innate immunological function and thus contribute to the
development of disease.