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Analysis of Plastic Ingestion by Juvenile Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta) Stranded from Tenerife, Canary Islands
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This study analyzed plastic ingestion by juvenile loggerhead sea turtles, characterizing the types and quantities of plastics found in gut contents and linking ingestion rates to foraging habitat and developmental stage.
The exponential rise in plastic debris in oceans poses a severe threat to marine biodiversity, including loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) due to their widespread distribution and feeding habits. The present study aimed to assess plastic ingestion in juvenile loggerhead sea turtles stranded in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Among the 312 turtles admitted to the Wildlife Recovery Center “La Tahonilla” from July 2018 to November 2020, bycatch (20.8%) and entanglement (15.4%) were the primary admission causes, with significantly higher strandings in the island’s western region. Of these, 37 turtles (11.9%) had ingested plastic debris, totaling 546 pieces (average 14.59 ± 26.57 per turtle). Predominantly, filaments (44%), sheets (34%), and fragments (23%) were identified, with most being macroplastics (67%) in white or transparent colors. These findings, consistent with similar studies, underscore loggerhead sea turtles’ role as bioindicators of sea water pollution. They also highlight the urgent need for sustainable practices to mitigate plastic pollution in marine environments, preserve marine biodiversity, and achieve global sustainability goals.
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Researchers analysed gastrointestinal tracts of 24 juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) collected in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre near the Azores, finding that 20 of 24 individuals had ingested plastic debris, highlighting the vulnerability of oceanic-stage juveniles to plastic pollution.
Ingestion and characterization of plastic debris by loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, in the Balearic Islands
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Loggerhead sea turtles stranded in the Balearic Islands were examined for ingested plastic debris, with plastics found in a substantial proportion of individuals and including a variety of polymer types and item categories. The study highlights sea turtles as sensitive indicators of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean and documents the diversity of plastic items entering the marine environment.
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Plastic fragments were found in the digestive tracts of 93% of stranded juvenile loggerhead sea turtles examined in Florida, with up to 287 fragments and a plastic-to-body weight ratio as high as 1.23%. The high ingestion rates in animals this young suggest that plastic pollution poses a serious threat to sea turtle survival from the earliest life stages.
Dietary Preferences of Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta) in Two Mediterranean Feeding Grounds: Does Prey Selection Change with Habitat Use throughout Their Life Cycle?
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This study analyzed stomach contents of loggerhead sea turtles from two Mediterranean feeding grounds and found that prey selection shifted from pelagic to benthic prey as turtles grew larger and transitioned from oceanic to neritic habitats, a pattern relevant to understanding their plastic ingestion risk at different life stages.
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Researchers analyzed gut contents of 96 stranded green turtles from Uruguay and found debris in 70% of individuals, with hard plastics most abundant by weight; smaller (juvenile) turtles had significantly more debris ingestion, identifying the early juvenile life stage as particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution in the southwestern Atlantic.
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