Abstract
Mercury concentrations in carapace fragments of the green turtle Chelonia mydas from the Ceará coast in NE Brazil are reported. Concentrations varied from <0.34 to 856.6 ng.g(-1) d.w., and were highest (average of 154.8 ng.g(-1) d.w.) in juveniles (n = 22), whereas lowest concentrations (average of 2.5 ng.g(-1) d.w.) were observed in adult/sub-adult animals (n = 3). There was a significant negative correlation between animal size and Hg concentration probably due to different diets between juveniles and sub-adults/adults. Carapace fragments, which are non-invasive, non-lethal substrates, may be of importance for monitoring purposes of these generally endangered species.
Highlights
Sea turtles are widely spread throughout the world’s tropical and temperate oceans
The major objective of this study is to provide additional Hg concentration data on the green turtle C. mydas from a region where no information is available
There was a significant negative correlation (P
Summary
Sea turtles are widely spread throughout the world’s tropical and temperate oceans. They are long-living animals and forage on diverse marine food chains; they have been proposed as bio-indicators of anthropogenic impacts on oceanic systems (Kampalath et al 2006, Day et al 2005).
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