Adrenal and Hematological Responses to Stress in Juvenile Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) with and without Fibropapillomas

This study reports baseline adrenocortical, hematological, and plasma biochemical values for clinically healthy juvenile green turtles from a discrete population at Kaneohe Bay, island of Oahu, Hawaii. Using a general linear modeling program, we compared mean values for these parameters with mean values of a group afflicted with green turtle fibropapillomas (GTFP). Turtles of similar size classes from both groups were collected under the same conditions in the same study area and season at the same time of the day. Corticosterone, hematological, and enzymatic responses to acute and chronic stress were characterized for each group at four different sampling periods: 0 h (within 2 min of capture), 1 h, 3-4 h, and 24 h postcapture. On the basis of the differences identified between groups and times within a group, we conclude that turtles with GTFP are chronically stressed and immunosuppressed.