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Marine Turtle Newsletter 109:20-21, © 2005

Marine Turtle Newsletter-Online

In Memory of Peter L. Lutz.


In early 2005, the community of marine turtle biologists and conservationists lost one of its friends and most prominent scholars, Prof. Peter L. Lutz. He died on February 28th 2005, in Boca Raton, Florida, at the age of 65. He is survived by his three sons and his wife Olive. Peter was one of the truly great comparative physiologists and integrative biologists of our time, was well known to many as the lead editor of the Biology of Sea Turtles series, and as one of the founders of the Workshop on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, which became the International Sea Turtle Society. Peter celebrated many workshops and symposia with truly valuable insights and many of us enjoyed hours of spirited conversations lasting through many pints.

A native of Glasgow, Scotland, Peter started his scientific career at the University of Glasgow, where he completed his PhD in 1970 in comparative physiology. He spent a few years at Duke University and returned briefly to the UK to serve as a professor at the University of Bath. Peter then received an appointment as Associate Professor at the Rosenstiel School of Marine Biology and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) at the University of Miami, where he became interested in the biology of sea turtles. It was in Miami where Peter mentored a flock of graduate students whose work on sea turtles addressed diverse topics including diving physiology and metabolism, and the impacts of enforced submergence in shrimp trawls. His influence and interests seeped across the road to the NMFS Miami lab, where he gained the admiration of fisheries colleagues. In 1991, Peter left the University of Miami to take an endowed chair position as the McGinty Eminent Scholar in Marine Biology at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton. Peter occupied that endowed Chair at FAU for the remainder of his career. During more than 14 years at FAU, he was involved in the dramatic expansion of the University and building of his department.

Peter’s years at FAU were a period of exceptional achievements, comprised of authorship of scientific papers and scholarly works, in his role as editor of texts on hypoxia and on the Biology of Sea Turtles, selection as an editor for the Journal of Experimental Biology, and in his capacity as series editor for the Marine Science Series for CRC press from 1991-2005. Peter Lutz was also a scholar in fields beyond comparative physiology. He merged his interests in the history of science, politics, religion, and philosophy in his authorship of The Rise of Experimental Biology: an illustrated history published in 2002.

Peter and his students made major contributions to our understanding of sea turtle physiology. Major themes he and his students explored addressed adaptations to diving and living in environments where oxygen is limited. Although Peter was widely known for his cutting edge research on brain metabolism, he and his students were intensely interested in applied problems of anthropogenic impacts on sea turtles, including beach renourishment effects on the nest environment, the dangers of latex balloon ingestion, and the only studies examining the detrimental effects of oil exposure. More recent work involved the investigation of physiological stress and fibropapilloma disease in Florida turtles, which are heavily impacted by this pandemic disease. As a recognized world expert on physiology, Peter also served on a number of government panels concerned with the health and recovery of sea turtle species worldwide and as a Governing Council member for the Bahamas National Trust. Less widely known is the fact that Peter’s students also include leaders in marine mammal physiology, anoxic brain chemistry, and the inventor of the popup satellite tag. The collective memories of extraordinary times in the Lutz circle would fill a book. As news of his passing spread, colleagues throughout the world in many fields of research expressed their deep affection for Peter, and sense of profound loss. He helped us understand the meaning of hard work, courage, ethics, fun, good beer, and friendship as the fruits of a scientific career. “Fight the good fight!” in a Glaswegian brogue, was Peter’s general advice to those facing up-hill battles in science and life. We shall do our best to live up to his high standards.

A bibliography of his publications on sea turtles follows.

Jeanette Wyneken1, Sarah Milton1 and Molly Lutcavage2
1Dept. of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33431-0991 USA, 2Center for Large Pelagics Research, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824-2617 USA.

Bibliography of Peer-reviewed Papers and Book Chapters on Sea Turtles.

CHIH, C.P., Z.C. FENG, M. ROSENTHAL, P.L. LUTZ & T.J. SICK. 1989. Energy metabolism, ion homeostasis, and evoked potentials in anoxic turtle brain. American Journal of Physiology
26: R854-860.

CRAY, C., R. VARELLA, G.D. BOSSART & P.L. LUTZ. 2001. Altered in vitro immune responses in green turtles with fibropapillomatosis. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 32: 436-440.

EDWARDS, R., P.L. LUTZ & D. BADEN. 1989. Relationship between energy expenditure and ion channel function in the rat and turtle brain. American Journal of Physiology. 26: R1354-1359.

HUDSON, D. & P.L. LUTZ. 1986. Salt gland function in the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Copeia 1986: 712-714.

LAPENNAS, G.N. & P.L. LUTZ. 1982. Oxygen affinity of sea turtle blood. Respiration Physiology 48: 59-74.

LUTCAVAGE, M. & P.L. LUTZ. 1986. Metabolism and feeding energetics of the leatherback sea turtle. Copeia 1986: 796-798.

LUTCAVAGE, M. & P.L.LUTZ. 1997. The diving physiology of sea turtles. In: The Biology of Sea Turtles (Eds. P.L. Lutz & J. Musick). C.R.C. Press. pp 277-296.

LUTCAVAGE, M.E. & P.L. LUTZ. 1991. Voluntary diving metabolism and ventilation in the loggerhead. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 147: 287-296.

LUTCAVAGE, M.E., P.L. LUTZ, G. BOSSART & D.M. HUDSON. 1995. Physiologic and clinicopathologic effects of crude oil on loggerhead sea turtles. Arch.Env. Contam.and Tox. 28: 417-422.

LUTCAVAGE, M.E., P.L. LUTZ & H. BAIER. 1989. Respiratory mechanics of the loggerhead sea turtle. Respir. Physiol 76: 13-24.

LUTCAVAGE, M.E., P.L. LUTZ & BAIER, H. 1987. Gas exchange in the loggerhead sea turtle. Journal of Experimental Biology. 131: 365-372.

LUTCAVAGE, M.E., P. PLOTKIN, B. WITHERINGTON & P.L. LUTZ. 1997. Human impacts on sea turtle survival. In: The Biology of Sea Turtles (Eds. P.L. Lutz & J. Musick). C.R.C. Press. pp 387-410.

LUTZ, P.L. & T.B. BENTLEY. 1985 Adaptations to diving in the sea turtle. Copeia 1985: 671-679.

LUTZ, P.L. & A. DUNBAR-COOPER. Seasonal changes in the blood chemistry of the loggerhead sea turtle. Fisheries Bulletin 85: 37-44.

LUTZ, P.L. & J. MUSICK. 1997. The Biology of Sea Turtles C.R.C. Press. 432pp.

LUTZ, P.L. & G.N. LAPENNAS. 1982. The effect of pH, CO2 and organic phosphates on the oxygen affinity of sea turtle hemoglobin. Respiration Physiology 48: 75-87.

LUTZ, P.L., J. MUSICK & J. WYNEKEN. 2003. The Biology of Sea Turtles, Volume 2 C.R.C. Press.

LUTZ, P.L. 1990. Studies on the ingestion of plastic and latex by sea turtles. In: Proc. Int. Conf. Marine Debris. (Eds. R.S. Shomura & M.L. Godfrey) NOAA-TM-154, 719-735.

LUTZ, P.L. 1985. The regulatory biology of sea turtles. Copeia 1985: 662-663.

LUTZ, P.L., A. BERGEY & M. BERGEY. 1989. The effect of temperature on respiration and acid-base balance in the sea turtle. Journal of Experimental Biology 144: 155-169.

LUTZ, P.L., J.C. LAMANNA, M.R. ADAMS & M. ROSENTHAL. 1980. Cerebral resistance to anoxia in the marine turtle. Respiration Physiology 41: 241-251.

LUTZ, P.L., R. EDWARDS & P. MCMAHON. 1985. GABA concentrations are maintained in the anoxic turtle brain. American Journal Physiology 249: R372-37.

LUTZ, P.L., M. ROSENTHAL & T. SICK. 1985. Living without oxygen: Turtle brain as a model of anaerobic metabolism. Molecular Physiology 8: 411-425.

LUTZ, P.L. 1997. Salt, water and pH balance in sea turtles. In: The Biology of Sea Turtles (Eds. P.L. Lutz & J. Musick). C.R.C. Press. pp 343-362.

MILTON, S.A., A. SCHULMAN & P.L.LUTZ. 1977. The effects of aragonite sand on the nesting and hatching success of loggerhead sea turtles. Journal of Coastal Research 13: 904-913.

NICOLSON, S. & P.L. LUTZ. 1989. Salt gland function in the loggerhead sea turtle. Journal of Experimental Biology 144: 155-169.

NILSSON, G.E. & P.L. LUTZ. 1991. Release of inhibitory neurotransmitters in response to anoxia in the turtle brain. American Journal of Physiology 261: R32-37.

NILSSON, G.E., A.A. ALFARO & P.L. LUTZ. 1990. Effects of anoxia on turtle brain neurotransmitters and related substances. American Journal of Physiology 259: R376-R384.

PEREZ-PINZON, M., M. ROSENTHAL, P.L. LUTZ & T. SICK. 1992. Glucose dependence of anoxic turtle brain. Journal of Comparative Physiology 16: 68-73.

SHAW, S., S. KABLER, P.L. LUTZ & A. SCHULMAN. 1992. Isoflurane - a safe and effective anesthetic for marine and freshwater turtles. Proc. Int. Wildl.Rehab. 112-119.

SICK, T.J., P.L. LUTZ, J.C. LAMANNA & M. ROSENTHAL. 1982. Comparative aspects of oxygen delivery and resistance to anoxia in turtles and rats. Journal of Applied Physiology 53: 1354-1359.

SICK, T.J., M. ROSENTHAL & P.L. LUTZ. 1984. Mechanisms of brain survival in anoxia: Mitochondrial activity and ion homeostasis in turtle and rat. Adv. Exp. Med. and Biol. 180: 221-230.

SICK, T.J., M. ROSENTHAL, J.C. LA MANNA & P.L. LUTZ. 1982. Extracellular potassium ion homeostasis and anoxia in turtles and rats. American Journal of Physiology 12: R28l-288.