Researchers have discovered that young marine turtles are now ingesting large amounts of plastic. This is because ocean pollution has changed habitats that were once perfect for their development to a risk.Research is expanding into the impact of plastics on wildlife. Studies have shown that marine animals can sustain injuries and even die from ingesting or becoming entangled in such material.One study found that plastic was ingested by 80 species of animals, including turtles.Researchers are now studying sea turtles as young hatchlings and those with shells less than 50cm. They believe that plastic is threatening the evolutionary adaptations that helped them thrive.Researchers from Australia and the UK report in Frontiers in Marine Science how they examined the innards 121 sea turtles, including five species of loggerhead, olive ridley and hawksbill. These turtles were caught either accidentally or stranded in the Pacific Ocean off Australia's west coast.All the specimens except for hawksbill turtles (of which only seven were examined), had plastic fragments in their gastrointestinal tracts. This percentage was greater in turtles from the Pacific Ocean.The plastic content in the 83% of green turtles found in those waters was higher than the Indian Ocean's 9%. This material accounts for 0.9% of the turtles' total body mass. One Pacific Ocean green turtle specimen was found to have 144 pieces of plastic ingested larger than 1mm.Although the team noted that the majority of the plastic found in the turtles was either polyethylene or propylene, it was impossible to identify the exact sources of these polymers.Dr Emily Duncan from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Exeters Penryn Campus, Cornwall, was a coauthor of the study. She said that young turtles evolved to live in open oceans, where predators are scarce.She stated that their results show that they have evolved into a trap, which leads them to highly polluted areas like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.Duncan said that while it wasn't yet clear how plastic affects young animals, it is possible that it can be harmful to the population. Duncan stated that juvenile sea turtles don't have a specialized diet and eat any food, which is consistent with our research.Mark Wright, the director of science at World Wide Fund for Nature who wasn't part of the study, stated that six of seven species were under threat of extinction and that plastic pollution was another danger they face.He said that only a small percentage of young marine turtles survive the first year. Therefore, it is crucial to reduce threats to these amazing species.
