Intake and growth histories modulate bone morphology, microarchitecture, and mineralization in juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas)

Compensatory growth (CG) is accelerated growth that occurs when food availability increases after food restriction. This rapid growth may be associated with sublethal consequences. In this study, we investigated the effects of food restriction and subsequent realimentation and CG on bone structure in juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Turtles were fed ad libitum food for 12 weeks (AL), restricted food for 12 weeks (R), or restricted food for 5 weeks followed by ad libitum food for 7 weeks (R-AL). R-AL turtles demonstrated partial CG via enhanced food conversion efficiency (FCE) upon realimentation. After the 12th week, gross morphology (GM), microarchitecture, and mineralization of the right humerus of each turtle were analyzed. Many GM measurements (including proximal and maximal bone lengths, bone widths, and shaft thickness), most measurements of bone microarchitecture (excluding cortical and trabecular thickness and trabecular separation), and all mineralization measurements were labile in response to intake. We examined the possibility that changes in nutrient allocation to bone structure during realimentation facilitated CG in previously food-restricted turtles. Restoration of bone lengths was prioritized over restoration of bone widths during CG. Furthermore, restoration of trabecular number, connectivity density, and bone volume fraction was prioritized over restoration of cortical bone volume fraction. Finally, diaphyseal bone mineralization was partially restored, whereas no restoration of epiphyseal bone mineralization occurred during CG. Shifts in nutrient allocation away from certain bone attributes during food restriction that were not rectified when food availability increased probably provided an energy surplus that enhanced the conversion of food to growth and thus powered the CG response. Our study revealed how resource allocation to various bone attributes is prioritized as nutritional conditions change during development. These “priority rules” may have detrimental consequences later in life, indicating that conservation of green turtle foraging grounds should be given high priority.