Reproduction Study on Sea Turtles

The CRAM Foundation, with the participation of Caja Madrid, has launched a pioneering project in the world of assisted reproduction of sea turtles. This project involves various phases aimed at establishing a captive breeding programme for loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) at the CRAM Foundation's Rescue Centre. Using animals which cannot be returned to the wild, CRAM will study simple and non-invasive methods to evaluate the reproductive cycles of these individuals, as well as the extraction and storage of semen from the male Caretta Caretta

The purpose of the study is to establish protocols and techniques that could be applied on a large scale to captive individuals in rescue centres, as well as zoos, to organise a captive breeding programme. The turtles bred will be released into the Mediterranean with the aim of helping to maintain the wild population.

Three distinct phases have been established: the first one to get to know the anatomical structures of female loggerhead turtles, a second one to develop a sperm bank and study the reproductive cycles of males and females, and a third phase to inseminate females and develop techniques for controlled oviposition, hatching and rearing of infants.

A preliminary phase has already been done, looking at scientific articles about reproduction techniques and establishing contact with international researchers working in this area. Right now, the project is in the second phase, which aims to study non-invasive techniques to extract male's semen and develop methods of cryopreservation for later use. In parallel, the reproductive cycles of females through diagnostic imaging techniques (ultrasound), which are correlated with hormonal profiles and cloacal smears, are being studied. Thus a noninvasive diagnostic test will ascertain the sexual maturity of females arriving at the Centre

Additionally, genetic studies that reveal the geographical origin of turtles in the study are also carried out, so that crosses between individuals from the same genetic stock can be made and therefore, interfere minimally in wild populations. In this way, the reintroduced infants can be raised in the beaches of origin of their parents

In addition, in 2005 as part of a PhD study by a researcher of the Wildlife Ecopathology Service of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at UAB, a complete anatomical study of sub adult loggerhead cadavers took place, locating the different internal organs and relating them to external structures. Also, a comprehensive study of techniques for image diagnosis comparing radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging was carried out in order to, using these methods, identify the gonads and know the reproductive phase in which the found specimens are.