Plastic Pollution and Small Juvenile Marine Turtles: A Potential Evolutionary Trap

• DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2021.699521
• Publication Date: 2021-08-02T04:24:00Z
• Authors: Emily M. Duncan; Annette C. Broderick; Kay Critchell; Tamara S. Galloway; Mark Hamann; Colin J. Limpus; Penelope K. Lindeque; David Santillo; Anton D. Tucker; Scott Whiting; Erina J. Young; Brendan J. Godley
• Keywords: Hatchling; Plastic pollution; Marine debris

The ingestion of plastic by marine turtles is now reported for all species. Small juvenile (including post-hatchling and oceanic juveniles) are thought to be most at risk, due feeding preferences overlap with areas high abundance. Their remote dispersed life stage, however, results in limited access assessments. Here, stranded bycaught specimens from Queensland Australia, Pacific Ocean (PO; n = 65; 1993–2019) Western Indian (IO; 56; 2015–2019) provide a unique opportunity assess the extent (> 1mm) five species [green ( Chelonia mydas ), loggerhead Caretta caretta hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata olive ridley Lepidochelys olivacea flatback Natator depressus )]. In Ocean, incidence occurred green (83%; 36), (86%; 7), (80%; 10) (29%; 7). There was an overall lower IO; highest being (28%; 18), (21%; 14) (9%; 22). No macroplastic debris documented either site although sample sizes were smaller this (PO 5; IO 2). majority ingested made up hard fragments (mean 52%; averages 46–97%), whereas these filamentous plastics (52%; 43–77%). abundant colour both sites across clear (PO: 36%; IO: 39%), followed white PO (36%) then blue (16%; 16%). polymers commonly oceans polyethylene (PE; PO-58%; IO-39%) polypropylene (PP; PO-20.2%; IO-23.5%). We frame occurrence present turtle stage as potential evolutionary trap they undertake their development what some polluted global oceans.