Marine turtles dying after becoming entangled in plastic rubbish

25 January 2018

New research shows that the rise in plastic refuse in the ocean and on beaches is killing turtles of all species, with a disproportionate impact on hatchlings and young turtles. Hundreds of marine turtles die every year after becoming entangled in rubbish, including plastic ‘six pack’ holders and discarded fishing gear.
91% of the entangled turtles were found dead. They also suffered serious wounds from entanglement, leading to maiming, amputation or choking. Others that survived were forced to drag discarded rubbish or debris with them. An article about the research is published in Endangered Species Research (News Release University of Exeter, 12 December 2017).
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Click here for the published article (786 kB).
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