Survey Of 102 Turtles In Atlantic, Pacific, Med - Synthetics, Microplastics In Every Digestive Tract

A recent study found microplastics in the intestines of humans around the globe, and new research has now done the same for sea turtles.

Researchers at the UK’s University of Exeter and the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, a research organization also in the UK, led a team that studied 102 sea turtles in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as well as the Mediterranean Sea. According to a paper published in the journal Global Change Biology earlier this month detailing their findings, synthetic particles less than 5 millimeters in length, including microplastics, were found in every single turtle studied.

More than 800 synthetic particles were found in the 102 turtles included in the study, with the most common being fibers that are shed by things like clothing, car tires, cigarette filters, ropes, and fishing nets as they break down after finding their way into the sea. Because the researchers only examined a part of each animal’s gut, they estimate that the total number of particles in each animal is actually about 20 times higher than what they found.

Scientists don’t know how sea turtles come to ingest microplastics and synthetic fibers, but likely sources include polluted seawater or contaminated prey and plants that the turtles eat. The study’s lead author, Emily Duncan of the University of Exeter’s Centre for Ecology and Conservation, said that we also don’t yet know what effects these synthetic particles might have on the sea turtles, and called for further research to fill these gaps in our knowledge.

EDIT

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/12/every-sea-turtle-in-global-study-found-to-have-synthetic-fibers-and-microplastics-in-their-guts/