Postmortem diagnostic investigation of disease in free-ranging marine turtle populations: a review of common pathologic findings and protocols

Over the past few decades, there have been increasing numbers of reports of diseases in marine turtles. Furthermore, in recent years, there have been documented instances of apparently new diseases emerging in these species of which the etiology and/or pathogenesis remain unknown. These instances i) raise concern for the survival of marine turtles, and ii) question the health and stability of the benthic marine environments in which turtles live. Knowledge of common disease processes and pathologic changes in lesions, along with a standardized approach to postmortem and sample collection are required to document and understand the host-agent-environment interactions in marine turtle health. This review combines, for the first time, a standardized approach to the postmortem of marine turtles for veterinary clinicians, with a concurrent descriptive review of the gross and microscopic pathologic changes in lesions commonly seen.