HAPLOTYPE ANALYSES OF NEWLY IDENTIFIED NESTING BEACH FOR LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE: YAKACIK BEACH, TURKIYE

Abstract

Sea turtles can be genetically differentiated for their nesting beaches or regions because they show natal homing behaviour. This may be a single beach or as a management unit of several beaches. Mediterranean coast of Türkiye has many small pocket beaches and other inaccessible remote sandy beaches. In this study, we investigated the genetic structure of a newly identified loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting site, Yakacık beach in the border of Antalya and Mersin provinces. The CC-A2.1 and CC-A3.1 haplotypes were defined within the 16 samples collected from the nests during the 2020 and 2021 nesting seasons. One sample per nest were collected as we are interested in mtDNA inherited only from mothers. The beach is identified in the Eastern Türkiye Management Unit for the presence of these haplotypes. There are 23 nesting beaches along the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye and these beaches are very important nesting sites for the loggerhead and the green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Mediterranean. In this study, we analysed the genetic structure of a newly identified nesting beach and the importance of genetic diversity for Mediterranean Sea turtles was emphasized.

Keywords

• Caretta caretta
• Haplotype
• Mediterranean
• mtDNA
• Nesting site expansion

İRİBAŞ DENİZ KAPLUMBAĞASI İÇİN YENİ BELİRLENEN YUVALAMA KUMSALININ HAPLOTİP ANALİZLERİ: YAKACIK KUMSALI, TÜRKİYE

Abstract

Deniz kaplumbağaları, doğumları kumsala tekrar yuva yapmak için dönme davranışlarından dolayı kumsallarına veya bölgelerine göre genetik olarak farklılık göstermektedirler. Bu farklılık, tek bir kumsal veya kumsallardan oluşmuş bir yönetim birimi olabilir. Türkiye'nin Akdeniz kıyılarında çok sayıda küçük kumsallar ve erişilemeyen uzak kumsallar bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Antalya ve Mersin il sınırındaki yeni bir yuvalama kumsalı olan Yakacık kumsalında yuvalayan Caretta caretta türü kaplumbağaların genetik yapısı araştırılmıştır. 2020 ve 2021 yuvalama sezonunda yuvalardan toplanan 16 örnekte CC-A2.1 ve CC-A3.1 olmak üzere iki haplotip tespit edilmiştir. Annelerden kalıtım yoluyla geçen mtDNA araştırıldığı için her yuvadan sadece bir adet örnek toplanmıştır. Bu haplotiplerin varlığı sonucunda, yakacık kumsalının Doğu Türkiye Yönetim Birimi'nde yer aldığı tespit edilmiştir. Türkiye, İribaş deniz kaplumbağaları (Caretta caretta) ve yeşil deniz kaplumbağalarının (Chelonia mydas) Akdeniz'deki en önemli yuvalama alanlarından birine sahip olup, yakın zamanda belirlenen kumsallarla birlikte toplamda 23 yuvalama kumsalı olmuştur. Bu araştırmada, yeni belirlenen yuvalama kumsallarının genetik özelliklerinin belirlenmesi ve Akdeniz deniz kaplumbağaları için genetik çeşitliliğin de araştırılmasının da önemine değinilmiştir.

Keywords

• Akdeniz
• Caretta caretta
• Haplotip
• mtDNA
• Yuvalama kumsalı

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