Abstract

The Program for the Conservation of Turtles and Marine Mammals -ProCTMM-, has been carrying out studies aimed at evaluating the genetic variability of specimens ready for rehabilitation processes, due to the incidental fishing of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), while they transit through the sector study. Through buccal smear and dermal tissue techniques, DNA extractions and amplification of 800 bp segments were performed, using primers LCM15382 and H950; later, they were sequenced and identified in Genbank for a total of 22 sequences, of which 11 corresponded to specimens found in Santa Marta and the other 11 sequences in organisms from La Guajira. Three haplotypes (CM-A5, CM-A8.1 and CM- A3.1) were found for Santa Marta and five (CM-A1.1, CM-A5, CM-A3.1, CM-A8.1 and CM -A8.2) for La Guajira, which are registered globally in the West Atlantic, East Atlantic and Mediterranean regions. In both regions, CM-A5 is the most frequent (54.54% and 45.45% respectively) which is recognized in the main feeding and breeding areas of Tortuguero, Buck Island, Bird Island, Suriname and Brazil. The above suggests a high genetic diversity, possibly due to the pattern of local oceanographic currents, which have made it easier for females from other Atlantic colonies to reach the Colombian coasts.

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