Plastic Pollution and Its Ecological Impacts on Sea Turtles: A Comprehensive Review

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. .