By Abbas Nazil
A recent study has revealed that green sea turtles can carry significant amounts of plastic debris in their bodies, underscoring the widespread and persistent threat of plastic pollution in marine ecosystems.
Researchers estimated that approximately 60 tonnes of plastic currently reside within female green sea turtles globally—equivalent to a full garbage truck’s worth of waste.
On an individual level, a single green sea turtle can carry up to 26.4 grams of plastic, which is about the same weight as 10 ping pong balls.
This revelation is part of a broader effort by scientists to quantify how much plastic pollution is stored not only in the ocean’s surface, water column, and seabed, but also within marine animals themselves—an area often overlooked in marine plastic studies.
Sea turtles were chosen as the focal point for this research due to their vulnerability and the extensive documentation of their interactions with plastic debris.
Out of the seven sea turtle species, six are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The ingestion of plastic by sea turtles includes a range of debris types such as pre-production pellets, foam, plastic bags, food wrappers, and discarded fishing gear.
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The physical consequences of ingesting such materials are dire and include starvation, internal injuries, and emaciation.
Additionally, turtles can become entangled in plastic items like nets and ropes, which further endangers their survival.
The study utilized a model based on existing data on plastic ingestion and incorporated various predictive factors, including ecological behavior, body size, geographical location, and socio-economic conditions of nearby countries.
Findings revealed that turtles foraging near the equator or near countries with poor waste management infrastructures were more likely to ingest plastics.
Green turtles, which primarily consume sea grasses and algae in shallow coastal regions, differ from other species like leatherbacks and loggerheads in their foraging habits, which in turn affects their exposure and vulnerability to plastic ingestion.
Leatherback turtles, which mistake soft plastics for jellyfish, were found to be especially susceptible.
These results raise questions about the broader implications of marine species serving as reservoirs and potential transporters of plastic across the ocean.
The study’s authors call for increased and standardized monitoring of sea turtles and other marine animals to enhance future models and better understand the role animals play in the distribution of ocean plastics.
This knowledge is essential for guiding international policy efforts such as the Global Plastics Treaty and for developing effective strategies to mitigate plastic pollution and protect vulnerable marine species.
