Sea Turtles: Even a Single Piece of Plastic Can Kill Them Even a single piece of plastic can be lethal to a sea turtle who are four times more likely to die than adults. This is established by a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himSea Turtles: Even a single piece of plastic can kill them
Even a single piece of plastic can be lethal to a sea turtle who are four times more likely to die than adults. This is established by a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
That plastic has invaded our seas is unfortunately not new. Victims of waste are fish, turtles and birds of which more and more often we show disconcerting images of waste in their stomach or respiratory system. But among the most affected by this emergency are newborn turtles who have weaker bodies and are also more likely to ingest plastics and microplastics.
The turtles feed offshore and it is there that there is a greater concentration of waste. According to the researchers, one in five dies from this reason and therefore does not reach adulthood, putting the species at risk. The study reads that half of all sea turtles on the planet have ingested plastic at least once in their life.
The team suggests that if an animal has ingested more than 200 pieces of plastic, it is certain to die, while 14 pieces already give 50% and one piece 22%. But when we talk about baby turtles the situation changes, because a single piece can be enough to put their lives at risk.
“Because of their digestive tract, they don't regurgitate anything. If a little piece of plastic ends up in the wrong place it can block that channel and it means nothing can get through and eventually the block can lead to death, ”Britta Denise Hardesty, lead author of the study, told BBC News.
There is no need to rest assured because those paradises where turtles used to swim happily are gradually disappearing.
“Young turtles float and float with ocean currents like much of the lightweight plastic does. We think they are less selective in what they eat than adults who eat marine plants and crustaceans as they approach the shore, ”continued Hardesty.
Research therefore confirms that plastic is having a disproportionate impact on new generations and reproduction. But despite attempts to clean the oceans, the situation is far from rosy, with an estimated 4,8 to 12,7 million tons of plastic debris reaching the sea.
"Our results are alarming: they provide the critical link between recent estimates of plastic ingestion and the population effects of this environmental threat."
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Dominella Trunfio
