Meghan Hodges
Sea turtles are among the oldest living creatures on Earth, with origins dating back at least 110 million years. However, plastic pollution poses a serious threat to their survival. An estimated 5-13 million metric tons of plastic waste enter our oceans annually, impacting sea turtles at all stages of their life cycles. Plastic pollution affects sea turtles in various ways, including entanglement, ingestion, and the destruction of their habitats and food sources. Other forms of pollution, such as toxic metals, pesticides, and oil spills, also harm sea turtles by causing diseases, impairing their immune systems, and disrupting their reproductive and endocrine functions. While there are ongoing efforts to reduce plastic pollution and conserve sea turtles, the impact of pollution remains a significant challenge for their survival.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Types of pollution | Sound, thermal, photic, plastics, chemical, effluent, and others |
| Pollutants | Toxic metals, PCBs, petroleum products, agricultural and industrial runoff of contaminants (e.g., fertilizers, chemicals, nutrients, untreated waste) |
| Impact on sea turtles | Intestinal blockage, malnutrition, reduced growth rates, death, entanglement, immunosuppression, endocrine function disruption, respiratory inflammation, gastrointestinal ulceration, organ damage, reproductive failure, feminization |
| Impact on sea turtle habitats | Destruction of feeding habitats, degradation of sea turtle habitats |
| Impact on sea turtle food sources | Contamination and death of aquatic plant and animal life |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic ingestion
Sea turtles ingest plastic in various forms, including microplastics and plastic items such as plastic bags, plastic twine, plastic packaging, and abandoned fishing gear. Younger turtles and species that feed primarily on the ocean's surface generally ingest the greatest amounts of plastic. In some populations, more than 90% of individual turtles have ingested microplastics.
Ingesting plastic can cause intestinal blockage in turtles, which may result in malnutrition, reduced growth rates, and even death. Scientists have found that sea turtles who ingest just one piece of plastic have a one in five chance of premature death. The accumulation of plastics at key nesting beaches also means that baby turtles are among the most at risk from plastic entanglement, preventing them from reaching the sea.
Plastics contain any mixture of at least 16,000 chemicals, including about 4,200 known hazardous substances such as bisphenols (like BPA), dioxins, flame retardants, PFAS, and heavy metals. Plastic chemicals cause numerous and serious health problems in all animals, including sea turtles. For example, heavy metals in plastics have been linked to hormone-disrupting effects that can feminize sea turtle populations, and BPA can cause infertility.
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Entanglement in plastic debris
Plastic pollution is a growing threat to sea turtles worldwide, and it is only recently that scientists have begun to understand its impacts. Between 5 and 13 million metric tons of plastic waste are estimated to enter our oceans annually, which is equal to dumping a garbage truck full of plastic every minute. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that plastics can last forever.
Sea turtles spend their lives travelling the oceans, and females will not rest until they find a suitable nesting spot to lay their eggs. However, mother sea turtles are now forced to dig their nests and lay their eggs on beaches that are increasingly covered by plastic pollution. As a result, entanglement in plastic debris is common for sea turtles and is almost always deadly. Baby turtles are among the most at risk from plastic entanglement, which prevents them from reaching the sea. Sea turtles have been recorded to be entangled in anything from lost fishing nets, plastic twine and nylon fishing line, to six-pack rings from canned drinks, plastic packaging straps, plastic balloon string, kite string, plastic packaging, car tires, and discarded anchor line and seismic cables.
All seven species of sea turtles ingest plastic, and in some populations, more than 90% of individual turtles have ingested microplastics. Younger turtles and species that feed primarily on the ocean's surface generally ingest the greatest amounts of plastic. A single piece of plastic can be deadly for a sea turtle. Research has shown that sea turtles that ingest just one piece of plastic have a one in five chance of premature death, and this risk increases to 50% for turtles that ingest 14 pieces of plastic.
Sea turtles do not know what plastic is, and they do not get to choose what they eat. A floating plastic bag can look like a jellyfish, algae, or other species that make up a large component of the sea turtles' diets. According to a study from the University of Tokyo, green turtles ate plastic 62% of the time they encountered it, likely mistaking it for algae. The ingestion of plastic can cause intestinal blockage, which may result in malnutrition, reduced growth rates, and even death.
To protect sea turtles from entanglement in plastic debris, it is crucial to reduce plastic use and properly dispose of plastic waste. This includes reducing the use of single-use plastics such as straws, plastic bags, and disposable utensils, properly disposing of waste in appropriate bins, and picking up any loose plastic waste.
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Toxic metals and chemicals
Sea turtles are vulnerable to ocean pollution at all stages of their life. Toxic metals and chemicals are among the many pollutants that harm sea turtles. These pollutants include heavy metals such as mercury, as well as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). These toxins can concentrate in the liver, kidneys, tissues, and eggs of sea turtles. Organisms that ingest these chemicals may suffer from depressed immune systems, illness, disease, and impaired reproduction.
PCBs were banned from production in the US in 1979, but they persist in the environment and materials produced before the ban. Researchers have found PCBs in sea turtle eggs, which can lead to immunosuppression and diseases like fibropapillomatosis (FP). FP causes cauliflower-shaped tumors on the external soft parts and internal organs of sea turtles, impairing their vision, breathing, and feeding abilities, and making them more vulnerable to predation.
Plastics are a significant source of toxic chemicals, containing a mixture of at least 16,000 chemicals, including about 4,200 known hazardous substances such as bisphenols (BPA), dioxins, flame retardants, PFAS, and heavy metals. These chemicals cause serious health problems in sea turtles, including hormone-disrupting effects that can feminize populations and lead to infertility.
The impact of toxic metals and chemicals on sea turtles is a serious threat to their survival, affecting their development, health, reproduction, and habitat. Reducing the use of single-use plastics, properly disposing of waste, and supporting conservation efforts are crucial in protecting sea turtles from the harmful effects of these pollutants.
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Oil spills
Firstly, oil spills can directly contaminate the habitats of sea turtles. When oil is released into the ocean, currents and winds can carry it across vast distances, affecting all the habitats where sea turtles are found. This includes the open ocean, where young turtles drift and hide from predators, and the shallower waters near the continental shelf, where older juveniles and adults spend much of their lives. Oil spills can also reach the sandy beaches where sea turtles hatch and later return to lay their eggs.
Secondly, sea turtles are particularly susceptible to oil spills because they are air-breathing reptiles. While sea turtles are known for their ability to hold their breath for extended periods during dives, they regularly surface to breathe air. This makes them vulnerable to inhaling oil fumes or coming into direct contact with oil on the water's surface.
Additionally, oil spills can have indirect effects on sea turtles by contaminating their food sources. Even if a sea turtle does not directly ingest a tar ball, small marine animals at the lower levels of the food chain may absorb the oil's chemicals. These chemicals accumulate in the bodies of these small organisms, increasing their concentration. When larger animals, like sea turtles, consume these contaminated organisms, they ingest high levels of toxins, which can lead to health issues.
The impact of oil spills on sea turtle populations is a cause for concern. Rescue and rehabilitation efforts are often implemented during and after oil spills to mitigate the harm caused. This includes rescue operations by boat, wildlife rehabilitation for affected turtles, and monitoring beaches and coastlines for injured or dead turtles. Scientific evaluations are also conducted to assess the environmental impacts of oil spills, including their long-term effects on sea turtles and other wildlife.
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Habitat degradation
Sea turtles are vulnerable to pollution at every stage of their life. Habitat degradation due to pollution poses a significant threat to sea turtles and can occur over large areas.
One of the primary causes of habitat degradation is the contamination of water bodies by oil spills and the runoff of chemicals, fertilizers, and untreated waste from industrial, agricultural, and urban sources. This pollution can destroy the feeding habitats of sea turtles, as it kills aquatic plant and animal life. For example, fertilizers cause eutrophication, leading to algal blooms that deplete oxygen levels and suffocate marine life, creating dead zones like the one in the Gulf of Mexico.
Another critical aspect of habitat degradation is the impact of plastic pollution. Plastics contain a mixture of toxic chemicals, including heavy metals, bisphenols (BPA), dioxins, flame retardants, and PFAS. These chemicals have been linked to severe health issues in sea turtles, such as hormone disruption, reproductive failure, and the development of harmful tumors. The ingestion of plastic waste, often mistaken for food, can lead to intestinal blockage, malnutrition, reduced growth rates, and even death. Research suggests that 52% of the world's turtles have consumed plastic waste, with younger turtles being more susceptible. Additionally, entanglement in plastic debris, such as abandoned fishing nets and microplastics, can trap and drown sea turtles, making them vulnerable to predation.
The accumulation of plastics on nesting beaches also poses a significant threat to sea turtle habitats. Mother sea turtles are forced to lay their eggs on beaches polluted by plastic waste, endangering hatchlings even before they reach the water. Furthermore, microplastics can raise the temperature of the sand, influencing the sex ratio of sea turtles, with a concerning increase in the number of females being observed.
The degradation of sea turtle habitats due to pollution has far-reaching consequences, impacting the survival and reproduction of these ancient creatures. It is essential to address these issues through conservation efforts, legislation, and individual actions to reduce plastic pollution and protect sea turtle habitats.
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Frequently asked questions
Sea turtles are vulnerable to pollution at all stages of life. Newly hatched sea turtles have to navigate through piles of microplastics and plastic items to get from the nest to the sea. Mother sea turtles are forced to dig their nests and lay their eggs on beaches covered in plastic pollution. Baby turtles are at high risk of plastic entanglement, preventing them from reaching the sea. For adult sea turtles, pollutants can cause immediate harm through direct contact or build up in tissues over time, leading to immunosuppression, disease, and death.
Sea turtles are affected by plastic pollution, sound pollution, thermal pollution, photic pollution, chemical pollution, and effluent. Plastic pollution is a growing threat to sea turtles worldwide, with an estimated 5-13 million metric tons of plastic waste entering oceans annually. Sea turtles often mistake plastic for food, leading to intestinal blockage, malnutrition, reduced growth rates, and death. They can also get entangled in plastic items, causing drowning or preventing escape from predators. In addition, plastics contain thousands of harmful chemicals, including heavy metals, which can cause feminization of sea turtle populations and infertility.
Pollution, such as oil spills and agricultural runoff, contaminates aquatic plant and animal life, destroying feeding habitats for sea turtles. Eutrophication caused by fertilizer runoff can deplete oxygen in the water, suffocating marine life and creating dead zones. Additionally, the degradation of sea turtle habitats by pollution poses a threat over large areas, especially with offshore oil exploration and production overlapping with sea turtle habitats.
