The dangers plastics pose to sea turtles

The dangers plastics pose to sea turtles


The world’s oceans are home to seven species of sea turtles and all are endangered. One of the culprits leading to their decline is plastic.

Every year, eight million tons of plastic finds its way into oceans. Plastic can harm sea turtles in several ways. Some turtles attempt to swallow hard chunks of plastic, which can tear or block their throat. But most often, turtles eat plastic bags, which fill up their stomachs and result in their starvation.

You might wonder why sea turtles eat plastic bags at all. Results of a recent study show that bacteria and algae, which grow on plastic, create a turtle-tempting smell. Tragically, sea turtles may actually be choosing to eat plastic bags because of that smell.

Reducing our use of plastic can help the earth in many ways. This is a glaring example of one of them.

Related Episodes