Accidental ingestion of largest marine debris by a leatherback turtle

Deguchi, S, Ueno, S, Kodera, H, Fujino, Y, Kongou, H, Nakanishi, T, Hayashi, R, Okamoto, K, and Ochi, D

Marine debris poses a major threat to marine life including sea turtles. It has been identified as a cause of death in  endangered sea turtles and is critical concern in its conservation efforts. In this study, we discovered a large clear  plastic sheet (106 cm ×118 cm) in the gastrointestinal tract of a dead stranded leatherback turtle. This debris is  the largest ever reported to be ingested by a leatherback turtle and could serve as an indicator for the maximum  debris size that sea turtles can ingest. While we could not definitively determine whether the leatherback died  from ingesting this debris, it  is  plausible that such large debris could strain the turtle's gastrointestinal tract.  Physical damage caused by the ingestion of large debris remains a critical and often overlooked threat to marine  fauna, particularly sea turtles,  highlighting the  need for increased attention to  this specific aspect of  marine  pollution.

Marine Pollution. Bulletin

211

117406

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117406.