Investigating a link between head malformations and lack of pigmentation in loggerhead sea turtle embryos (Caretta caretta, linnaeus, 1758) in the Southeastern United States

During a three year study of unhatched loggerhead sea turtle eggs from Wassaw, Sapelo, and Jekyll islands along the Georgia coast, some unusual deformities were documented in the embryos. These included abnormal pigmentation (hypomelanism) and malformations of the head, carapace and limbs. Abnormalities were found to co-occur with hypomelanism in 11% of the embryos. Further investigation into the embryonic malformations showed that the limbs were most frequently affected. The second largest category was head malformations, which were found to co-occur with improper pigmentation of the embryo. These documented malformations verify anecdotal reports from scientists who have worked on nesting beaches for years and can act as a baseline by which to measure changes in health and development of a population on the road to recovery.