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Salvarani PI, Vieira LR, Rendón-von Osten J, Morgado F. Hawksbill Sea Turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricata) Blood and Eggs Organochlorine Pesticides Concentrations and Embryonic Development in a Nesting Area (Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico). TOXICS 2023; 11:50. [PMID: 36668776 PMCID: PMC9865186 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11010050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Environmental contaminants with chemical origins, such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have major impacts on the health of marine animals, including sea turtles, due to the bioaccumulation of those substances by transference throughout the food chain. The effects of environmental pollution on the health of marine turtles are very important for management strategies and conservation. During recent decades, the south Gulf of Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula have suffered from increasingly frequent disturbances from continental landmasses, river systems, urban wastewater runoff, port areas, tourism, industrial activities, pesticides from agricultural use, and other pollutants, such as metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and hydrocarbons (from the oil industry activities), which contaminate water and sediments and worsen the environmental quality of the marine ecosystem in this region. In this study, we assessed the concentrations of OCPs in the blood and eggs of 60 hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting at the Punta Xen turtle camp, and their effects on the nesting population's reproductive performance: specifically, maternal transfer and embryonic development were analyzed. Hematologic characteristics, including packed cell volume, white blood cell count, red blood cell count, and haemoglobin levels, and plasma chemistry values, including creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, triglyceride, total cholesterol and glucose, were also measured. The general health of the turtles in this study, as well as their levels of urea, serum creatinine, glucose, uric, acid, cholesterol, and triglyceride, fell within normal ranges and was similar to other normal values, which could indicate the turtles' good energy levels and body conditions for nest-building activity, with all of the turtles able to successfully come ashore to nest. All the same, the obtained results also indicate that OCPs affect the nesting and reproductive performance of the hawksbill turtles, as well as their fertility and the development of the population of eggs and reproductive performance, specifically in terms of maternal transference and embryonic development. There were significant differences in the concentrations of OCPs (ΣHCHs and ΣDienes) between maternal blood and eggs, indicating that these chemicals are transferred from nesting females to eggs and, ultimately, to hatchlings. OCPs may, therefore, have an effect on the health and reproductive performance of hawksbill turtles, both in terms of their fertility and egg development. Conservation strategies need to be species-specific, due to differences in feeding, and address the reasons for any decline, focusing on regional assessments. Thus, accurate and comparable monitoring data are necessary, which requires the standardization of monitoring protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia I. Salvarani
- Department of Biology and the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Luis R. Vieira
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 2250-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Jaime Rendón-von Osten
- Instituto Epomex, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Av Augustin de Melgar y Juan de la Barrera s/n, Campeche 24039, Mexico
| | - Fernando Morgado
- Department of Biology and the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
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2
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Ruberg EJ, Williams TD, Elliott JE. Review of petroleum toxicity in marine reptiles. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2021; 30:525-536. [PMID: 33725237 PMCID: PMC8060228 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-021-02359-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide petroleum exploration and transportation continue to impact the health of the marine environment through both catastrophic and chronic spillage. Of the impacted fauna, marine reptiles are often overlooked. While marine reptiles are sensitive to xenobiotics, there is a paucity of petroleum toxicity data for these specialized fauna in peer reviewed literature. Here we review the known impacts of petroleum spillage to marine reptiles, specifically to marine turtles and iguanas with an emphasis on physiology and fitness related toxicological effects. Secondly, we recommend standardized toxicity testing on surrogate species to elucidate the mechanisms by which petroleum related mortalities occur in the field following catastrophic spillage and to better link physiological and fitness related endpoints. Finally, we propose that marine reptiles could serve as sentinel species for marine ecosystem monitoring in the case of petroleum spillage. Comprehensive petroleum toxicity data on marine reptiles is needed in order to serve as a foundation for future research with newer, unconventional crude oils of unknown toxicity such as diluted bitumen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Ruberg
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Tony D Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - John E Elliott
- Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada.
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Shaver DJ, Gredzens C, Walker JS, Godard-Codding CAJ, Yacabucci JE, Frey A, Dutton PH, Schmitt CJ. Embryo deformities and nesting trends in Kemp’s ridley sea turtles Lepidochelys kempii before and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2021. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Kemp’s ridley sea turtles Lepidochelys kempii were disproportionately affected by the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, which began on 20 April 2010. Embryo deformities were documented in inviable L. kempii eggs before (2008-2010) and after (2011-2013) the DWH spill in 2 Texas (USA) nesting areas (Upper Texas Coast and Padre Island National Seashore). Additional nesting trends, including clutch size and hatching success, were also investigated. Total and late-stage embryo deformity prevalence were 1.5 times greater after 2010 than before, but low in all nesting seasons (mean ± SD: 0.7 ± 8.5% total; 0.6 ± 8.0% late-stage) and did not differ between locations. Craniofacial and carapace deformities were the most frequently observed deformity types. Documented nests in both areas declined in 2010 relative to previous years, ending an exponential increase observed beginning in 1995. Clutch size remained consistent before and after the spill. Hatching success averaged 87.0 ± 33.3% in all years, but no effects from DWH were determined. Collectively, these data represent useful benchmarks against which to judge impacts of future crude oil spills and other catastrophic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- DJ Shaver
- National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore, Corpus Christi, TX 78480, USA
| | - C Gredzens
- National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore, Corpus Christi, TX 78480, USA
| | - JS Walker
- National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore, Corpus Christi, TX 78480, USA
| | - CAJ Godard-Codding
- The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - JE Yacabucci
- The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - A Frey
- NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - PH Dutton
- NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - CJ Schmitt
- US Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
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4
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Casale P, Ceriani SA. Sea turtle populations are overestimated worldwide from remigration intervals: correction for bias. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2020. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Wallace BP, Stacy BA, Cuevas E, Holyoake C, Lara PH, Marcondes ACJ, Miller JD, Nijkamp H, Pilcher NJ, Robinson I, Rutherford N, Shigenaka G. Oil spills and sea turtles: documented effects and considerations for response and assessment efforts. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2020. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Perrault JR, Arendt MD, Schwenter JA, Byrd JL, Harms CA, Cray C, Tuxbury KA, Wood LD, Stacy NI. Blood analytes of immature Kemp's ridley sea turtles ( Lepidochelys kempii) from Georgia, USA: reference intervals and body size correlations. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa091. [PMID: 33304585 PMCID: PMC7720087 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Health assessments of wildlife species are becoming increasingly important in an ever-changing environment. Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii; hereafter, Kemp's ridleys) are critically endangered and incur several on-going threats to their population recovery; therefore, it is imperative to advance the understanding of baseline blood analyte data as a diagnostic and monitoring tool. For in-water, trawl-captured, immature Kemp's ridleys (minimum N = 31) from Georgia, USA, the objectives of this study were to (1) establish reference intervals (RIs) for packed cell volume (PCV) and 27 plasma biochemistry analytes and (2) determine length-specific relationships in blood analytes. We observed significant positive correlations between minimum straight carapace length and PCV, amylase, calcium:phosphorus ratio, cholesterol, magnesium, triglycerides, total solids, total protein and all protein fractions (e.g. alpha-, beta- and gamma-globulins); aspartate aminotransferase and chloride showed significant negative relationships. These results suggest that certain blood analytes in Kemp's ridleys change as these animals grow, presumptively due to somatic growth and dietary shifts. The information presented herein, in due consideration of capture technique that may have impacted glucose and potassium concentrations, represents the first report of blood analyte RIs for Kemp's ridley sea turtles established by guidelines of the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology and will have direct applications for stranded individuals in rehabilitative care and for future investigations into the health status of wild individuals from this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R Perrault
- Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach, Florida, 33408, USA
- Corresponding author: Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach, Florida, 33408, USA. Tel: 561-627-8280.
| | - Michael D Arendt
- Marine Resources Division, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Charleston, South Carolina, 29412, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Schwenter
- Marine Resources Division, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Charleston, South Carolina, 29412, USA
| | - Julia L Byrd
- South Atlantic Fish Management Council, North Charleston, South Carolina, 29405, USA
| | - Craig A Harms
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Morehead City, North Carolina, 27606, USA
| | - Carolyn Cray
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA
| | - Kathryn A Tuxbury
- Animal Health Department, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110, USA
| | - Lawrence D Wood
- Florida Hawksbill Project at the National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33308, USA
| | - Nicole I Stacy
- Aquatic, Amphibian, and Reptile Pathology Program, Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32608, USA
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Bembenek-Bailey SA, Niemuth JN, McClellan-Green PD, Godfrey MH, Harms CA, Gracz H, Stoskopf MK. NMR Metabolomic Analysis of Skeletal Muscle, Heart, and Liver of Hatchling Loggerhead Sea Turtles ( Caretta caretta) Experimentally Exposed to Crude Oil and/or Corexit. Metabolites 2019; 9:metabo9020021. [PMID: 30691098 PMCID: PMC6410094 DOI: 10.3390/metabo9020021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We used nuclear magnetic spectroscopy (NMR) to evaluate the metabolic impacts of crude oil, Corexit 5900A, a dispersant, and a crude oil Corexit 5900A mixture exposure on skeletal muscle, heart, and liver physiology of hatchling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Tissue samples were obtained from 22 seven-day-old hatchlings after a four day cutaneous exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of crude oil, Corexit 5900A, a combination of crude oil and Corexit 9500A, or a seawater control. We identified 38 metabolites in the aqueous extracts of the liver, and 30 metabolites in both the skeletal and heart muscle aqueous extracts, including organic acids/osmolytes, energy compounds, amino acids, ketone bodies, nucleosides, and nucleotides. Skeletal muscle lactate, creatines, and taurine concentrations were significantly lower in hatchlings exposed to crude oil than in control hatchlings. Lactate, taurine, and cholines appeared to be the basis of some variation in hatchling heart samples, and liver inosine, uracil, and uridine appeared to be influenced by Corexit and crude oil exposure. Observed decreases in concentrations of lactate and creatines may reflect energy depletion in skeletal muscle of oil-exposed animals, while decreased taurine concentrations in these animals may reflect higher oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stasia A Bembenek-Bailey
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
- Environmental Medicine Consortium, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
| | - Jennifer N Niemuth
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
- Environmental Medicine Consortium, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
| | - Patricia D McClellan-Green
- Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, North Carolina State University, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA.
| | - Matthew H Godfrey
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
- Environmental Medicine Consortium, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
- Sea Turtle Project, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA.
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA.
| | - Craig A Harms
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
- Environmental Medicine Consortium, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
- Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, North Carolina State University, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA.
| | - Hanna Gracz
- Environmental Medicine Consortium, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
| | - Michael K Stoskopf
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
- Environmental Medicine Consortium, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
- Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, North Carolina State University, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA.
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Wildermann NE, Gredzens C, Avens L, Barrios-Garrido HA, Bell I, Blumenthal J, Bolten AB, Braun McNeill J, Casale P, Di Domenico M, Domit C, Epperly SP, Godfrey MH, Godley BJ, González-Carman V, Hamann M, Hart KM, Ishihara T, Mansfield KL, Metz TL, Miller JD, Pilcher NJ, Read MA, Sasso C, Seminoff JA, Seney EE, Willard AS, Tomás J, Vélez-Rubio GM, Ware M, Williams JL, Wyneken J, Fuentes MMPB. Informing research priorities for immature sea turtles through expert elicitation. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2018. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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9
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Casale P, Broderick AC, Camiñas JA, Cardona L, Carreras C, Demetropoulos A, Fuller WJ, Godley BJ, Hochscheid S, Kaska Y, Lazar B, Margaritoulis D, Panagopoulou A, Rees AF, Tomás J, Türkozan O. Mediterranean sea turtles: current knowledge and priorities for conservation and research. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2018. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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10
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Caillouet CW, Raborn SW, Shaver DJ, Putman NF, Gallaway BJ, Mansfield KL. Did Declining Carrying Capacity for the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Population Within the Gulf of Mexico Contribute to the Nesting Setback in 2010−2017? CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.2744/ccb-1283.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Scott W. Raborn
- LGL Ecological Research Associates, Inc., Bryan, Texas 77801 USA []
| | - Donna J. Shaver
- Padre Island National Seashore, Corpus Christi, Texas 78480-1300 USA []
| | - Nathan F. Putman
- LGL Ecological Research Associates, Inc., Bryan, Texas 77801 USA []
| | | | - Katherine L. Mansfield
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816 USA []
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Reich KJ, López-Castro MC, Shaver DJ, Iseton C, Hart KM, Hooper MJ, Schmitt CJ. δ13C and δ15N in the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys kempii after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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12
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Mitchelmore CL, Bishop CA, Collier TK. Toxicological estimation of mortality of oceanic sea turtles oiled during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Wallace BP, Brosnan T, McLamb D, Rowles T, Ruder E, Schroeder B, Schwacke L, Stacy B, Sullivan L, Takeshita R, Wehner D. Effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on protected marine species. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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McDonald TL, Schroeder BA, Stacy BA, Wallace BP, Starcevich LA, Gorham J, Tumlin MC, Cacela D, Rissing M, McLamb DB, Ruder E, Witherington BE. Density and exposure of surface-pelagic juvenile sea turtles to Deepwater Horizon oil. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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