Buoyancy Syndrome and Entanglement Disorders in Sea Turtles of the Indian Ocean: Risk Factors and Outcomes

Strategies to improve therapeutic interventions that maximise the return to the wild of injured and diseased imperilled species is a foundation of conservation medicine. To accomplish this, risk factors contributing to admitting conditions at clinical facilities that treat these species must be identified. We describe risk factors and related outcomes of two main categories of presenting conditions of sea turtles admitted to a clinical facility in the island nation of the Maldives. Injuries associated with entanglement in floating marine debris and inappropriate buoyancy control comprised over ninety percent of the 157 admissions to our sea turtle hospital from December 2016 to April 2022. Significant risk factors included monsoon season and trauma to limbs upon admission. Our outcomes (~60% released) measured by restoration of acceptable clinical health and return to the wild equaled or exceeded similar reports from other facilities around the world. The first report of its kind, this work demonstrates the need for further innovation in treating injuries associated with entanglement disorders and buoyancy syndrome and suggests that these clinical syndromes may contribute more to sea turtle morbidity and mortality than previously thought.