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Plastic Pollution and Its Ecological Impacts on Sea Turtles: A Comprehensive Review
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Researchers reviewed the full spectrum of plastic pollution threats to all seven sea turtle species, covering ingestion-driven gastrointestinal obstruction and nutritional dilution, entanglement injuries, and the effects of beach plastic accumulation on nest temperature, hatchling success, and sex ratios.
Among the pervasive threats to marine ecosystems, plastic pollution ranks among the highest, and it is particularly catastrophic for sea turtles globally. Damage to near, coastal and open oceans caused by plastic debris has arisen, driven by the large increase in the plastic manufacturing from the 1950s and inadequate waste management. Plastics reach marine environments both from land and from the sea, but upon entering break down to known microplastics and are then retained and dispersed throughout the pelagic and benthic environments . Sea turtles, for example, may be particularly susceptible because their migratory behavior, feeding ecology and long life cycles leave them repeatedly exposed to reduced availability of prey in certain sites . Plastic has an impact on all seven species of sea turtles via ingestion, entanglement, and loss of nesting habitat. Ingestion of plastic can cause GI obstruction, nutritional dilution, physiological stress, and death, while entanglement causes injury and impaired mobility. According to researchers, plastics also change nesting beach properties, impacting hatchling success and sex ratios. In this review, we develop on the current knowledge on sources and degradation pathways of plastic pollution and ecological impacts on the sea turtle population, slut emphasizing the need for integrated conservation and pollution mitigation strategies. .
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Microplastics and sea turtle reproduction: A systematic review on nest contamination and developmental risks
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This research examined the ecotoxicological effects of microplastic exposure on freshwater stingrays, assessing behavioral, physiological, and reproductive impacts in a Neotropical elasmobranch species. The study provides novel data on microplastic effects in cartilaginous fish, expanding ecotoxicological understanding beyond teleost fish models.
Mitigation of the Plastic Pollution in the Marine Environment to Conserve the Marine Biota: An Overview
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Researchers reviewed how plastics — the dominant form of marine solid waste — break down into microplastics and nanoplastics under environmental forces, threatening marine biodiversity. The overview highlights mitigation strategies needed to reduce ongoing plastic inputs before damage to ocean ecosystems becomes irreversible.
Ecotoxicity of Plastic in the Marine Environment - Contributions to an Environmental Impact Model
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Researchers reviewed the ecotoxicity of plastic pollution in marine environments and proposed contributions to an environmental impact model, finding that chemical additives and sorbed contaminants in plastic debris significantly affect organism health and complicate accurate toxicity assessments.
Plastics and Microplastics: Impacts in the Marine Environment
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Plastics and microplastics have achieved near-universal distribution in marine environments from surface waters to deep-sea sediments, persisting for decades while fragmenting into increasingly smaller and more biologically available particles. The growing concentration of microplastics in oceans represents a long-term threat to marine biodiversity and the food safety of seafood consumed globally.
Biological and Ecological Impacts of Plastic Debris in Aquatic Ecosystems
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Researchers reviewed the biological and ecological impacts of plastic debris in aquatic ecosystems, finding that effects span from individual organisms to entire ecosystems, though establishing clear cause-and-effect relationships remains scientifically challenging given the complexity of real-world environments.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.