Kiera Jefferson
Sea turtles are endangered by pollution in a variety of ways. Plastic pollution, for example, poses a significant threat, with sea turtles mistaking plastic for their natural food and ingesting it, or getting entangled in plastic debris. Oil spills and chemical runoff also contaminate the ocean, destroy feeding habitats, and harm sea turtles' health. Additionally, chronic exposure to pollutants weakens turtles' immune systems, making them more susceptible to diseases like fibropapillomas and increasing their vulnerability to predation and collisions with boats. Eutrophication caused by fertilizer runoff can lead to dead zones in the ocean, further endangering sea turtles. While there have been efforts to reduce pollution and protect sea turtles, the ongoing threats of pollution highlight the urgent need for continued conservation measures.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of pollution | Plastic, inorganic, petroleum, chemical, and fertilizer |
| How it affects sea turtles | Ingestion, entanglement, choking, limb loss, internal bleeding, intestinal blockage, starvation, physical damage to intestines, impaired reproduction, weakened immune system, disrupted nesting behaviour, hatchling disorientation, increased vulnerability to predation and collisions with boats |
| How it affects sea turtle habitats | Destruction of feeding and nesting habitats, contamination of nesting beaches, damage to health, reduced food sources |
| How humans can help | Using less chemical fertilizers, opting for compost, buying organically produced food and products, reducing oil consumption, reducing use of single-use plastics, disposing of waste properly, picking up plastic waste, supporting organizations working to fight plastic pollution |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic ingestion
Sea turtles mistake plastic for their natural food, such as jellyfish, or accidentally eat plastic present in their natural food. The most common type of plastic debris that sea turtles ingest is plastic bags. Turtles cannot tell the difference between plastic bags and jellyfish, and will often eat the bags, which get stuck in their stomachs. Plastic ingestion causes blockages in their intestines and can pierce the intestinal wall, causing internal bleeding.
In addition, the plastic in a turtle's stomach can imitate the sensation of being full, leading to starvation as turtles neglect to seek out other food sources. Furthermore, the downward-facing spines in their throats prevent regurgitation, trapping the plastic and hindering their ability to swallow food properly. This can lead to malnutrition and even death.
Young sea turtles are at a higher risk of ingesting plastic as they spend their early years floating with ocean currents, living in flotsam and eating other organisms that may have ingested plastic. Microplastics, tiny bits of plastic consumed by fish or other animals, can then be eaten by turtles, leading to the accumulation of toxins in their bodies.
The ingestion of plastic poses a serious threat to sea turtles, and urgent action is needed to reduce plastic production and consumption to protect these ancient mariners.
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Entanglement in plastic debris
Plastic pollution affects sea turtles in two main ways: ingestion and entanglement. Sea turtles can become entangled in plastic debris at various stages of their life cycle and in different habitats, both near the coast and in the open ocean. Entanglement in plastic debris can be life-threatening for sea turtles, and the risk may be higher for younger turtles.
Young sea turtles spend their early years floating with ocean currents, living in flotsam such as brown algae and feeding on other organisms that float with the currents. Plastic waste transported by these same ocean currents puts young turtles at a higher risk of entanglement. Sea turtles can get entangled in plastic packing straps, bags, balloons with strings, sheeting, zip ties, dental flossers, and mesh onion bags. For example, a Kemp's ridley sea turtle was found entangled in a plastic bag filled with sand in Florida. The bag had wrapped around the turtle's neck, and it is believed that the turtle drowned due to the weight of the bag or suffocated from the entanglement.
Rescue and rehabilitation efforts are in place to help entangled sea turtles. Trained professionals coordinate sea turtle disentanglement efforts, using specialized tools and techniques to safely free the turtles. However, freeing entangled animals can be dangerous for both the animals and the rescuers.
To address the issue of entanglement in plastic debris, it is crucial to reduce the use of single-use plastics, properly dispose of waste, and support organizations working to fight plastic pollution through cleanups, advocacy, and public awareness campaigns.
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Oil spills
Sea turtles can encounter oil spills in various ways. Oil spills can contaminate the open sea, currents, and winds, carrying oil across all habitats where sea turtles are found and into the potential path of sea turtles of every age. Oil from spills far offshore can also concentrate along convergence zones, which are important areas for young turtle development, and wash up on beaches, damaging nesting habitats.
When sea turtles surface to breathe, they can inhale oil and its vapours into their lungs. They can also ingest oil directly or consume oil-contaminated prey, water, or food. Sea turtles can become coated in oil, which can cause them to be unable to swim and expose them to harsh temperatures, making them vulnerable to predators. Oil spills can also lead to the loss of important habitats and food sources for sea turtles.
Female sea turtles that ingest oil can pass oil compounds on to their developing young, and the eggs can absorb oil components in the sand through the eggshell, potentially damaging the baby turtle. Oil spills and their cleanup activities can prevent nesting females from reaching the shores to lay their eggs, impacting the number of nesting females, a critical factor in studying population trends.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 adversely affected sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, with an estimated 4,900-7,600 large juvenile and adult sea turtles and 55,000-160,000 small juveniles killed. Additionally, 35,000 hatchlings were injured due to response activities, and many were rescued, cleaned, and released back into the wild. The spill also impacted the Brazilian coast in 2019, with hundreds of animals affected, including green turtles.
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Chemical runoff
Sea turtles are vulnerable to ocean pollution at all life stages, from eggs to adulthood. One of the major threats to their survival is chemical runoff, which includes the discharge of various pollutants into bodies of water, such as rivers and oceans. This can have detrimental effects on the health and ecosystem of sea turtles and other marine life.
The impact of chemical runoff on sea turtles is twofold. Firstly, it can lead to direct contamination through ingestion or skin contact. Sea turtles may mistake floating plastic debris for food, such as a plastic bag resembling a jellyfish, or accidentally ingest plastic along with their natural food sources. This ingestion of plastics can cause physical damage to their intestines, lead to blockages, and even result in fatalities. Additionally, the chemicals and toxins present in the runoff can accumulate in the tissues, liver, kidneys, and eggs of sea turtles over time, leading to immunosuppression and various health issues, including fibropapillomatosis (FP) or "green turtle disease." FP causes cauliflower-shaped tumors on external soft parts and internal organs, impairing breathing, feeding, and vision, and increasing vulnerability to predation.
Secondly, chemical runoff can indirectly affect sea turtles by destroying their feeding and nesting habitats. Eutrophication, caused by excess nutrients from fertilizers, leads to an explosion of algal blooms that deplete oxygen levels and suffocate marine life, creating dead zones. Oil spills and urban runoff of chemicals also accumulate along the food chain, contaminating sensitive habitats that sea turtles depend on, such as sea-grass beds, mangroves, and coral reefs. Additionally, light and noise pollution from coastal development can disorient hatchlings and deter adult turtles from nesting, further disrupting their natural behaviors and life cycles.
To address the issue of chemical runoff, several measures can be implemented. These include following fertilizer bans and opting for natural compost, reducing oil consumption and speaking out against offshore drilling, ensuring proper waste disposal to prevent untreated wastewater from reaching natural waterways, and advocating for stricter regulations on industrial wastewater discharge. By addressing these sources of chemical runoff and pollution, we can help protect sea turtles and preserve their ecosystems.
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Destruction of habitats
Sea turtles are highly migratory species, travelling vast distances across the world's oceans. However, human activities have threatened their survival. One of the key threats is the destruction of their habitats.
Every year, sea turtle habitats are destroyed due to shrinking coastlines. Coastal development, including the construction of buildings, roads, and other infrastructure, alters shorelines and seafloors, degrading and destroying sea turtle habitats. This development can include nesting beach degradation, seafloor dredging, vessel traffic, and changes to vegetation.
Boat vessel traffic and beach driving can directly harm sea turtles and their hatchlings. Additionally, light pollution from coastal developments can disrupt nesting behaviour, leading hatchlings away from the sea, and causing their death. Oil spills from vessels also contribute to the destruction of habitats, as the oil washes up on beaches, degrading nesting areas and impacting nests, nesting females, and hatchlings.
The degradation of sea turtle habitats is also caused by pollution, which can occur over large areas. Sea turtle habitats overlap with areas affected by offshore oil exploration and production, putting them at risk of petroleum pollution. This includes intentional discharge from vessels, vessel groundings, oil transport, spills, and runoff from land-based sources.
Agricultural and industrial runoff contaminates the ocean with toxic metals, PCBs, petroleum products, fertilizers, chemicals, nutrients, and untreated waste. These pollutants can cause immediate harm to sea turtles through direct contact or can build up in their tissues over time, leading to immunosuppression and disease. Climate change further exacerbates the issue, as it alters critical sea turtle habitats and increases the likelihood of extreme weather events, resulting in the loss of nesting beaches.
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Frequently asked questions
Pollution affects sea turtles in a multitude of ways. Plastic pollution, for example, can cause physical harm to sea turtles through ingestion or entanglement. Ingesting plastic can cause intestinal damage, intestinal blockage, and internal bleeding. Entanglement in plastic can choke, injure, or even kill turtles. Oil spills and chemical runoff can contaminate and destroy their feeding habitats, and oil can wash up on beaches and damage nesting habitats.
Plastic pollution affects sea turtles throughout their life cycle and across different habitats. Sea turtles ingest plastic by mistaking it for their natural food (e.g. mistaking a plastic bag for a jellyfish) or by accidentally consuming plastic present among their natural food. Research suggests that more than half of all sea turtles have eaten plastic, and the ingestion of just one piece of plastic increases a turtle's chance of dying by 22%.
Pollution can cause fibropapillomas (FP), a disease that creates cauliflower-shaped tumors on the external soft parts and internal organs of sea turtles. External tumors can slow turtles down, making them more vulnerable to predators, while tumors around the eyes can cause blindness, and tumors around the mouth can impair breathing and feeding. Pollution can also weaken turtles' immune systems, making them more susceptible to diseases and death.
