One-Third of Sea Turtles Have Plastic in their Digestive Systems

You’ve probably already seen this photo of a turtle chewing on a plastic bag – it’s included in just about every article on the ‘net about plastic pollution. It’s a heartbreaking reminder of how ubiquitous plastic is in our oceans, and how many sea creatures are being affected by its presence. The plastic bag industry has fought back against what they deem misinformation, even going so far as to claim that this photo is ‘trick photography’.

But now, scientists have proven that sea turtles are indeed ingesting plastic. Necropsy reports on leatherback turtles found that 1/3rd of them had plastic in their digestive systems.

From MSNBC:

Besides plastic bags, the turtles had swallowed fishing lines, balloon fragments, spoons, candy wrappers and more.

Plastic was probably not the cause of death in most cases. Nevertheless, the study is an important wake-up call for a growing garbage problem.

“Eating something that is plastic can’t be good for you, whether it leads to death or not,” said Mike James, a marine biologist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “It’s not what they should be eating. And it’s kind of scary that it is showing up in their diet to the extent that it is.”

But the numbers are alarming. Plastic can block a turtle’s gut, causing bloating, interfering with digestion, and leading to a slow, painful death. “I can’t imagine it’s very comfortable,” he said. “Their guts weren’t designed to digest plastic.”

The problem is, floating plastic bags look an awful lot like jellyfish, which are these turtles’ main source of sustenance – and there are so many plastic bags in the ocean. Since leatherback turtles travel so far and wide, they have more opportunity to come across them.

The only thing we can do is reduce our use of plastic as much as possible. If you want some tips for cutting back on plastic, check out EarthFirst’s “Resolve to Use Less Plastic in 2009 – Here’s How”.

Link [MSNBC]

Turtles Alter Nesting Dates Due to Rising Temperatures

Rising temperatures have caused turtles nesting along the Mississippi River to alter their nesting dates, according to a researcher from Iowa State University. Professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology Fred Janzen has long studied turtle nesting habits and has accumulated research going back decades to track the habits of turtles, finding out when they make nests and lay eggs.

From Science Daily:

“The results have been astonishing,” says Janzen. “In some cases such as regional populations of red-eared sliders, they are now nesting three weeks earlier than they did in the early 1990s. That is the fastest response to climate change of any species that I know of.”

The turtles that changed their nesting habits were not only young turtles that are nesting for the first time, said Janzen, but were also older turtles that were changing their habits. This trait, called plasticity, helps animals alter their behavior in the short term until inherited behavior takes over.

“What we found was that in the late 1980s, painted turtles started nesting in early June, now it is on the order of 10 days or more earlier,” said Janzen. “These behaviors are showing how the plasticity of the species is helping them survive, but we are wondering what the limit is to their ability to adapt.”

Janzen’s research also determined that temperature changes are causing far more male turtles to be born than females. He had predicted that it would be the other way around, since warmer temperatures tend to produce females – but his research suggests that, since the air feels warmer, turtles are nesting earlier while the ground is still cold. He believes that the overabundance of males will stress the species.

We’re starting to see more and more of these reports trickling in. What will it take to get people to wake up and realize that the earth is already being affected and changed by global warming? As each day passes with so many people still believing that action isn’t necessary – or not believing that global warming is even real – we lose so much crucial time preserving the ecology of this planet.

Link [Science Daily]
Photo credit: Flickr user batwrangler