Epidemiological Evaluation of sea turtle stranded in the region of the Potiguar basin Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará.
Rehabilitation, sea turtles, one health, epidemiology, sentinels.
The frequent stranding of live and dead sea turtles reveals a gap of knowledge upon the complex route of processes between health and disease and the exposure to anthropogenic and/or natural risks of these animals in the marine environment. In the RN/CE Potiguar Basin, the occurrence of the five sea turtle species found along the Brazilian coast is registered. As part of a national project (Beach Monitoring Project – PMP), in this region of the coastline, these especies are rescued and taken to the Rehabilitation Center of Marine Fauna of PCCB-UERN for recovery and/or investigation of causes of stranding and mortality. The five species of sea turtles are found in the List of Threatened Species. With the vision of the One Health Concept, the characterization of epidemiological aspects of causes of stranding and mortality of sea turtles in the RN/CE Potiguar Basin can contribute for the subsidy of measures for conservation of this taxonomic group. In addition, to contribute not only to the elucidation of issues regarding the health of the sea turtles and the environment they live, but also to sustainable practices, environmental education, and the health of the local population. Thus, in prol of the relevance of these especies for ecossistemic ecological processes and of the importance of these species as sentinels for environmental health and importance in the ecosystem services, this study aimed to perform an epidemiological evaluation of clinical cases of live stranded sea turtle of 2020 in the septentrional coast of Rio Grande do Norte and in the east coast of Ceará and of the implication of these cases for the conservation of this taxonomic group, the environment and for the health of the local population.