Marine Turtles at Risk of Losing Their Population Due to Rise in Plastic Pollution

The annual global plastic production has grown from 1.5 million tonnes to 299 million tonnes in the last 65 years. This has resulted in the increase of plastic pollution, both on land and at sea. Researchers have warned that with a rise in plastic pollution all species of marine turtles face the grave risk of losing their population. Lead researcher Brendan Godley from University of Exeter in England said, "When turtles ingest plastic, they can suffer intestinal blockage that can result in malnutrition which can in turn lead to poor health, reduced growth rates, lower reproductive output and even death. It is sobering to think that almost every piece of plastic that ever entered the sea is still there; breaking down and forming a vast soup of microplastics that could have frightening long-term repercussions."

Joint lead study author Sarah Nelms, from University of Exeter's Penryn campus said, "I was shocked at how little is known about the impacts of plastic on marine turtles. We know that discarded plastic poses a serious threat to wildlife, but this study shows that more research is urgently needed if we are to understand the scale of the problem."

The study suggested that urgent action is required to better understand this issue and its effects on marine turtles, so that appropriate and effective mitigation policies can be developed. The research team has called for further work to investigate the sub-lethal effects of plastic ingestion and the associated contamination from chemicals relating to the plastic particles.

The research was published in the Journal of Marine Science.

Source-IANS