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Do loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) gut contents reflect the types, colors and sources of plastic pollution in the Southwest Indian Ocean?
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This study analyzed plastic debris ingested by loggerhead sea turtles caught as bycatch in the Southwest Indian Ocean from 2007–2021, finding that 76% of 266 turtles had ingested plastics, primarily hard and white items. Brand auditing and ocean circulation modeling indicated Southeast Asia as the main source of plastic pollution in the region, demonstrating that loggerheads can serve as bioindicators of plastic pollution.
We analyzed plastic debris ingested by loggerheads from bycatch between 2007 and 2021 in the Southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO). We also analyzed plastic debris accumulated on beaches of the east coast of Madagascar as a proxy for ocean plastics to compare the characteristics of beached plastics and plastic ingested by turtles. We conducted a "brand audit" of the plastics to determine their country of origin. An oceanic circulation model was used to identify the most likely sources of plastics in the SWIO. In total, 202 of the 266 loggerheads analyzed had ingested plastics. Plastics categorized as "hard" and "white" were equally dominant in loggerheads and on beaches, suggesting no diet selectivity. Both the brand audit and circulation modeling demonstrated that Southeast Asia is the main source of plastic pollution in the region. This study demonstrates that loggerheads can be used as bioindicators of plastic pollution in the SWIO.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.