Sea Turtles And Plastic: A Lethal Diet

Plastic pollution is a massive problem for sea turtles. It is estimated that more than half of all sea turtles have eaten plastic, which can cause physical damage to their intestines, lead to blockages, or trick them into feeling full when they are not, resulting in sickness or death. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that plastics last forever, breaking down into microplastics that remain in the environment indefinitely. With the current rate of plastic production, it is predicted that there will be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans by weight by 2050.

Plastic pollution in the ocean is a massive problem for sea turtles

Sea turtles ingest plastic by mistaking it for their natural food, such as a plastic bag that looks like a jellyfish, or by accidentally eating plastic that is present among their natural food, such as a plastic straw on the seafloor among crustaceans. They are also attracted to the smell of marine plastics, likely due to the organisms that latch on to plastic debris in the ocean. As a result, scientists have estimated that more than half of all sea turtles have eaten plastic.

When sea turtles eat plastic, it can cause physical damage to their intestines, lead to blockages, or trick the turtles into feeling full when they are not, all of which can cause sea turtles to become sick or even die. In fact, a University of the Sunshine Coast marine biologist, Dr Kathy Townsend, explained that "even a single piece of plastic can kill a turtle". In her research, two of the turtles studied had eaten only one piece of plastic, which was enough to kill them.

It is important to note that the statistics on sea turtle plastic ingestion are likely conservative, as many dead sea turtles are never recovered. Those that are found on beaches are often collected for food, and not all are studied to determine the cause of death.

Sea turtles can ingest plastic by mistaking it for their natural food

Research shows that there are six kilograms of plastic for every kilogram of plankton in the ocean. If this trend continues, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight by 2050. This is a brand new but devastating threat to sea turtles, which have been around for over 100 million years.

The ingestion of plastic can cause physical damage to sea turtles' intestines, lead to blockages, or trick them into feeling full when they are not. This can make sea turtles sick or even kill them. In fact, a study of nearly 1,000 turtles found dead and washed up on beaches around Australia found that two of the turtles had died from ingesting just one piece of plastic.

Scientists have estimated that more than half of all sea turtles have eaten plastic. However, it is likely that this figure is conservative, as many dead sea turtles are never recovered.

Plastic can cause physical damage to sea turtles' intestines, lead to blockages, or trick them into feeling full when they are not

It is estimated that approximately 52% of all sea turtles have eaten plastic. This is because sea turtles can mistake plastic for their natural food, such as mistaking a plastic bag for a jellyfish, or accidentally eating plastic that is present among their natural food, such as a plastic straw on the seafloor. Sea turtles are also attracted to the smell of marine plastics, likely due to the organisms that latch on to plastic debris in the ocean.

The problem of plastic pollution in the ocean is made worse by the fact that plastics last forever. When they degrade, they break down into microplastics that remain in the environment indefinitely. Researchers predict that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by weight. Australians use 130kg of plastic each year, but only 12% of that is recycled, and up to 130,000 tonnes of plastic will find its way into the ocean.

Sea turtles are attracted to the way that marine plastics smell

Sea turtles have been around for over 100 million years, but plastic is a brand new and devastating threat to their survival. It is estimated that more than half of all sea turtles have eaten plastic. This plastic can cause physical damage to their intestines, lead to blockages, or trick the turtles into feeling full when they are not, which can cause sea turtles to become sick or even die.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that plastics last forever. When they degrade, they break down into microplastics that remain in the environment indefinitely. It is predicted that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by weight.

The impact of plastic pollution on sea turtles is made worse by the fact that plastic is being produced at an exponentially increasing rate, while our waste disposal technology and capacity are not increasing at the same rate. This means that more and more plastic is ending up in the ocean, where it poses a threat to sea turtles and many other marine species.

It is important to note that the statistics on plastic ingestion by sea turtles may be conservative, as many dead sea turtles are never recovered and some are collected for food.

Even a single piece of plastic can kill a turtle

Sea turtles can ingest plastic by mistaking it for their natural food, such as a plastic bag that looks like a jellyfish, or by accidentally eating plastic that is present among their natural food, such as a plastic straw on the seafloor among crustaceans. Sea turtles are also attracted to the way that marine plastics smell, likely due to the organisms that latch on to plastic debris in the ocean.

The impact of plastic on sea turtles is devastating. It can cause physical damage to their intestines, lead to blockages, or trick the turtles into feeling full when they are not, all of which can cause sea turtles to become sick or even die.

The problem is made worse by the fact that plastics last forever. When they degrade, they break down into microplastics that remain in the environment indefinitely. It is estimated that between 5-13 million metric tons of plastic waste enter our oceans annually, and if we continue at this rate, there will be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans by weight in 2050.

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