Anoxia Effects in Asphyxiated Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) Caught in an Artisanal Fishing Net on the Coast of Brazil.

Among studies of drowning in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), none have associated drowning with injuries of organs other than the lung. We describe the gross and microscopical findings in 23 green sea turtles found dead in a fishing net. Deprived of air, these animals experienced hypoxia and anoxia before dying, which caused congestion, hydropic degeneration and necrosis in several organs. There was no evidence of an alternative cause of death. These findings demonstrate a pattern characteristic of death by asphyxia caused by drowning.