Plastic waste: 40% of newborns of marine turtles killed by pollution

Plastic kills 40% of young sea turtles, which shocking new research has shown.

Baby turtles are almost four times more likely to be killed by ingesting plastic waste than adults, revealed the Daily mail.

Not only do these animals have weaker bodies, but they also feed in offshore waters closer to the surface, which are more likely to be contaminated by large plastic items that can accumulate in their bodies. digestive tract.

Autopsies of nearly 1,000 dead turtles revealed that more than half of the babies – and about a quarter of the miners – had swallowed plastic, compared with only one in seven adults.

The study focused on species such as loggerhead turtles, green turtles, leatherback turtles, hawksbill turtles, Kemp wrinkles, olive ridley turtles and flatbacks.

Scientists have discovered between 1 and 329 pieces of plastic ingested by turtles in the study.

The maximum weight of the plastic was 10.41 g (0.4 oz).

According to scientists, there was a 50% chance of death once the animal had only 14 pieces of plastic in its gut.

The study, the first of its kind, was conducted by scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Hobart, Tasmania.

It sheds new light on the risk that plastic pollution poses to the world's population of sea turtles, which often confuses waste dumped into the ocean with food.

This can range from six canned drink packaging rings to discarded fishing gear.

Corresponding author Dr. Denise Hardesty of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization stated, "The accumulation and persistence of plastic debris in the marine environment is of growing concern.

"It is estimated that 4.8 to 12.7 million metric tonnes of plastic debris entered the world's oceans from land-based sources in 2010 alone, and that this input is expected to increase exponentially in the future.

"This poses a considerable threat to marine life, mainly through entanglement and ingestion."

She stated that although entanglement can have devastating effects, especially when fishing gear is being used, the ingestion of artificial debris is of increasing concern.

His team examined data from 952 autopsies of sea turtles stranded on the Queensland coast since 1992.

Their research confirmed that plastic fears disproportionately affected younger generations, especially babies.

Species examined included loggerheads, green turtles, leatherback turtles, hawksbill turtles, cruel wrinkled Kemp olives.

They found that 54% of newborns and 23% of minors had consumed plastic, compared with 16% of adults.

The amount of plastic in the digestive tract of turtles also varied according to the cause of their death.

Those who died from unknown causes, who acted as a statistical control group, had consumed the smallest quantities, followed by those who had been hit by boats or drowned.

Crucially, those who died of plastic ingestion had eaten the most, highlighting their threat to sea turtles and other marine animals.

Dr. Hardesty said, "Animals dying from known causes unrelated to plastic ingestion had less plastic in their gut than those who died from indeterminate causes or direct plastic ingestion – impaction and bowel perforation.

"We found a 50% mortality probability once an animal had 14 pieces of plastic in its gut."

She added, "Our findings provide the critical link between recent estimates of plastic ingestion and the effects on the population of this environmental threat."

The results, published in scientific reports, show that the feeding place and the stage of the life story can have an impact on the risk of death of turtles.

Dr. Hardesty explained, "Young turtles tend to drift with the currents and feed in the more offshore waters, which are more likely to be contaminated by large plastic objects that can accumulate in them. the digestive tract or cause perforation. "

Sea turtles were among the first animals to consume plastic debris, a phenomenon that "occurs in all parts of the world and in the seven species of marine turtles".

She said: "Globally, it is estimated that about 52% of all sea turtles ingested plastic debris.

"Plastic in the marine environment is a growing environmental problem.

"Sea turtles are at significant risk of ingesting plastic debris at all stages of their life cycle, with potentially life-threatening consequences."

The study has implications for all marine life from seabirds and fish to mammals and to a range of invertebrates, including corals.

Dr. Hardesty said, "We know that about 700 species interact with human-made debris and, as more species are studied, their numbers continue to increase.

"The model has wide applicability and can be adapted to other taxa to understand dose responses to plastic ingestion for other marine taxa of interest."

Last year, researchers at the University of Exeter discovered that more than 1,000 sea turtles were killed each year by plastic waste in the oceans and beaches.

The global study indicated that this figure is "almost certainly gross underestimation".