The Effects of Marine Debris on Sea Turtles

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The Effects of Marine Debris on Sea Turtles
A fact that is tragically unknown by much of the human population is that marine debris has a large effect on sea turtle populations throughout the world during various stages of the sea turtles’ lives. This type of pollution has proven detrimental to the habitats of sea turtles, as well as to their lives. Marine debris can be defined as any manufactured or processed solid waste imported into the marine environment (Campani, et al., 2013). Various examples of marine debris are fishing nets, plastic bags, cans, bottles, and tires ("Marine debris impacts," 2012). At the beginning of a sea turtle’s life, debris on shores makes it difficult for freshly hatched turtles to complete their journey into the ocean (Triessing, et al.). Their inability to bring this hugely important task to fruition inevitably results in horrifying consequences for the turtles. Once they leave the beach, they commonly mistake plastic bags floating in the ocean for squid or jellyfish, which is why they consume them ("Marine debris impacts," 2012). The ingestion of marine debris by sea turtles proves harmful because the debris provides a false sense of fullness for the turtles and, as a result of this pseudo-fullness, they starve to death. Additionally, the sea turtles often get caught in the marine debris which then drowns or suffocates them ("Marine debris impacts," 2012). The consumption of marine debris increases the amount of nitrogen in the diets of sea turtles (Slip & Burton). Scientists have found marine debris in 35% of loggerheads examined from the Adriatic Sea as of 2010 (Lazar & Gračan 2011). Because of the composition of marine debris, it has many effects on sea turtle populations such as: hindering baby ...

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...370 autopsies (Conservation Implications of Dietary Dilution from Debris ingestion).
With all of the knowledge concerning the negative effects that this marine debris has on the lives of sea turtles (as well as a litany of other unnamed creatures of the sea), comes the responsibility to implement a certain proactivity toward creating a safer and healthier environment in which the sea turtles can inhabit and continue to thrive in without obstruction for many generations to come. Firstly and likely most obviously, we need to be more attentive to halting the genesis of marine debris at its point of origin. As humans we simply have to stop being so careless in regards to littering and recycling. All that this requires is an awareness of the detrimental effects that not recycling and littering have on all sorts of life systems as well as a desire to make a difference.

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