Although sea turtle flipper tagging is a tenet field technique generating irreplaceable scientific data worldwide since the inception of sea turtle conservation in 1920s along the Great Barrier Reef, the procedure was reported to trigger outbreaks of sea turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP) in 2018. This global environmental impact assessment performed during 2020–2023 meta‐analyzed three impacts on sea turtles health and conservation of the presence of visible flipper tags: a risk of clinical expression of FP lesions at the tag insertion point, a deterrent effect of the presence of flipper tags on sea turtle fishing, and a risk of entanglement of sea turtles in fishing gears. This essay concluded that the risk of expression of a FP lesion at the flipper tag insertion point is most probably correlated to a direct inoculation of ChHV5 via infected tagging equipment, and that the risk of entanglement in fishing gears can be mitigated by the choice of metallic flipper tags over plastic flipper tags. This essay also strongly recalls the sea turtle flipper tagging technique represents a remedy to knowledge gaps relevant to climate velocity research and can be a deterrent on sea turtle fishing in a frame of strong partnerships with indigenous people, independently of communities' socio‐cultural backgrounds.

Sea turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP) is an emerging transboundary contagious disease that affected concomitantly two different marine hot spots in the Northern Atlantic Ocean and in the South China Sea at the beginning of the twentieth century. FP reached a panzootic status in the 1990s in green turtle (Chelonia mydas) populations, with increased risks of emergence and spread of the disease which have been correlated with climate induced terrestrial and oceanic physical and chemical changes. During 2023–2024, scientific experts performed a bibliographic review and recommend the consensus definition of sea turtle fibropapillomatosis. FP is an emerging transboundary viral terrestrial and aquatic contagious neoplastic syndrome involving cancerous molecular transmission pathways, which may affect all species of sea turtles at all life stages. The diagnosis of the most common verrucous form of FP is pathognomonic by visual examination of a sea turtle. We summarize the main clinical characteristics of FP, moderated by a degree of confidence of research findings adapted from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports. We recommend the implementation of a universal and transparent monitoring strategy of sea turtle fibropapillomatosis in sentinel bays, under the governance of the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Efficient nutritional support plays a pivotal role in the rehabilitation of sea turtles, ensuring a positive, swift, and successful recovery from clinical conditions for their reintroduction into the wild. For sea turtles in severely emaciated and underweight condition, the primary objective is to facilitate weight gain in terms of both muscle mass and fat reserves. Traditionally, many sea turtle rehabilitators have employed the practice of force-feeding, which also involves the daily insertion of an orogastric tube from the mouth to the stomach. However, this technique may be highly stressful for the animals, carrying the risks of regurgitation and potential harm, requiring the removal of the animal from the water, and subjecting it to uncomfortable and potentially dangerous handling. The procedure may also involve risks for operators. In this study, we explore the utilization of a permanent esophago-gastric tube (EG tube) in sea turtles as an alternative to force-feeding, providing a respectful and appropriate approach to meeting the nutritional needs of patients. The administration of food, essential medications, and fluids is performed directly with the turtle in its tank, minimizing the stress associated with handling, while ensuring the safety of operators. The study involves 195 marine turtles that underwent surgery for the placement of a permanent EG tube between 2008 and 2022. Of these, 116 animals were treated at the Sea Turtle Clinic of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bari, South Adriatic Sea, Puglia (IT), and 79 patients were admitted to the Sea Turtle Rescue Center of Lampedusa, Central Mediterranean Sea, Sicily (IT). The loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) required EG tube placement due to their poor condition related to various diseases, which were systematically categorized. The duration of EG tube placement was analyzed regarding the specific condition of the animals and the nature of their injuries, considering any complications or differences between the two facilities. The results of the study will provide valuable information for the ongoing care and treatment of marine turtles in rehabilitation facilities.

Fisheries bycatch is a major threat to sea turtles, and drifting longlines are among the most impactful gears worldwide; however, existing mitigation measures vary in effectiveness and may involve trade-offs with commercial catch volumes. Traplines are a new hookless terminal gear recently adopted in some pelagic longline fisheries, but their conservation value for sea turtles has not been assessed yet. We compared traplines and conventional J-hooks in 23 pelagic longline sets conducted by a single vessel in the central Mediterranean targeting swordfish. Within each set, hooks and traplines were deployed alternately along the same drifting longline, allowing paired comparison under identical conditions. Across all sets, 40,800 hooks and 6850 traplines were deployed. Hooks caught 127 loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and 9711 kg of commercial fish, whereas traplines caught 1 turtle and 6580 kg of fish. Turtle and fish catch rates were significantly lower and higher for traplines, respectively. Conservation efficiency relative to economic performance was assessed as turtles caught per kilogram of fish, and this ratio was significantly lower for traplines. These preliminary results provide the first empirical evidence that traplines can nearly eliminate sea turtle bycatch while still producing substantial fish catches, at least under the environmental and technical conditions of this study. We encourage further research in a variety of contexts to assess the broader value of traplines for sea turtle conservation.

Sea turtles face numerous threats, often stemming from human activities, resulting in high mortality rates. One of the primary risks they encounter is posed by fishing activities. In the South Adriatic Sea, the extensive trawling fleet often impacts sea turtles, and in recent years, a specific disorder, known as gas embolism (GE), and the associated disease known as decompression sickness (DCS), has emerged as a new threat. Our study aims to compare the statistical concordance and sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy between ultrasonography and radiography for evaluating GE in marine turtles. The study involved the analysis of 29 loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) admitted to the Sea Turtle Clinic (STC) at the Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Italy, between December 2022 and March 2023. The sea turtles underwent X-ray evaluation using the three standard projections (dorso-ventral, latero-lateral, cranial-caudal), followed by ultrasound examination to visualize blood vessels through cervical, axillary, and inguinal ultrasound windows. Color Doppler ultrasonography was utilized to assess blood flow, gas localization, and quantity, but this technique proved to be less helpful in detecting GE. Our results confirm the statistically valid performance of ultrasonographic examinations, highlighting the significant role of combining ultrasonography and radiography to enhance sensitivity, especially in complex and challenging cases for identifying gas embolism (GE) in sea turtles.