Patrício, Ana RitaDiez, Carlos E.Dam, Robert P. vanGodley, Brendan John2016-12-292021-04-162016Marine Ecology Progress Series, 547, 247-255. Doi: 10.3354/meps116440171-8630http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/5179Outbreaks of fibropapillomatosis (FP), a neoplastic infectious disease of marine turtles, have occurred worldwide since the 1980s. Its most likely aetiological agent is a virus, but disease expression depends on external factors, typically associated with altered environments. The scarcity of robust long-term data on disease prevalence has limited interpretations on the impacts of FP on turtle populations. Here we model the dynamics of FP at 2 green turtle foraging aggregations in Puerto Rico, through 18 yr of capture-mark-recapture data (1997−2014). We observed spatiotemporal variation in FP prevalence, potentially modulated via individual site-fidelity. FP ex pression was residency dependent, and FP-free individuals developed tumours after 1.8 ± 0.8 yr (mean ± SD) in the infected area. Recovery from the disease was likely, with complete tumour regression occurring in 2.7 ± 0.7 yr (mean ± SD). FP does not currently seem to be a major threat to marine turtle populations; however, disease prevalence is yet unknown in many areas. Systematic monitoring is highly advisable as human-induced stressors can lead to deviations in host− pathogen relationships and disease virulence. Finally, data collection should be standardized for a global assessment of FP dynamics and impacts.engFibropapillomasChelonia mydasMark-recaptureDisease dynamicsEmerging diseasePuerto RicoGreen turtlePopulation dynamicsjournal article10.3354/meps11644