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Impacto de los macroplásticos y microplásticos en las áreas de anidación de tortugas marinas en San Jacinto – Manabí
Summary
Researchers surveyed plastic debris—both macro- and microplastics—at five sections of a sea turtle nesting beach in San Jacinto, Ecuador, and assessed whether contamination correlated with reproductive outcomes for 28 Olive Ridley sea turtle nests. Higher plastic accumulation was associated with altered nest temperatures and reduced hatching success, demonstrating that beach plastic contamination directly threatens sea turtle reproduction.
The accumulation of plastic debris in nesting areas compromises the reproductive success of sea turtles by modifying thermal and substrate conditions. This study assessed this impact at San Jacinto beach (Manabí, Ecuador) using a mixed design and stratified sampling in five sections. Macro- and microplastics were collected in 75 quadrats, and reproductive data from 28 nests of Lepidochelys olivacea obtained from the project Monitoring sea turtle nesting in the coastal zone of Portoviejo and Sucre. Microplastics were extracted by sieving and flotation. A total of 143 macroplastics were identified, predominantly bags (34%) and nets (22%), with critical accumulation in quadrant 4 (42%). A total of 672 microplastic particles were recovered, 96.6% in the first 5 cm. At 40 cm, a positive correlation was observed with hatching (ρ = 0.42; p = 0.038) and emergence (ρ = 0.40; p = 0.047) rates. In conclusion, surface residues showed no significant correlations. The educational guide strengthened local participation. It is concluded that depth modulates the plastic effect and that mitigation requires a dual approach: removal and education.