FAS Abstracts 2004 Meeting Page

Florida Committee on Rare & Endangered Species (RES): RES-6

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Fatty acid composition in the yolk of green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas. K.S. CRAVEN (1), G. SEABORN (2), J. PARSONS (3), S. TAYLOR (1), and D.W. OWENS (4). (1) Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, GA 31419, (2) National Marine Fisheries Service, Charleston, SC 29412, (3) Cayman Turtle Farm, British West Indies, (4) Charleston University, Charleston, SC 29412.  Egg yolks are packaged by female amniotes for use by their offspring. Yolk lipids and their component fatty acids can be traced to dietary sources and are important for normal embryonic growth and survival. This study focuses on the role of fatty acids in the success of green turtle eggs. Wild green turtles have better hatch success than captive. Eggs were sampled from turtles in captivity and the wild. Food and yolk samples were analyzed using gas-liquid chromatography. Different levels of several fatty acids were found in the yolks of wild and captive animals. Compared to levels of fatty acids in their respective food sources, green sea turtles package lipids in their yolks in proportions different than those in their diets.