Victoria González Carman, E. Marcelo Acha, Sara M. Maxwell, Diego
Albareda, Claudio Campagna, Hermes Mianzan, Young green turtles,
Chelonia mydas, exposed to plastic in a frontal area of the SW Atlantic,
Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 78, Issues 1–2, 15 January 2014, Pages
56-62, ISSN 0025-326X, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.11.012.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X13007133)
Abstract: Ingestion of anthropogenic debris represents an important
threat to marine turtle populations. Information has been limited to
inventories of debris ingested and its consequences, but why ingestion
occurs and the conditions that enable it are less understood. Here we
report on the occurrence of plastic ingestion in young green turtles
(Chelonia mydas) inhabiting the Río de la Plata (SW Atlantic). This
estuarine area is characterized by a frontal system that accumulates
anthropogenic debris. We explored exposure of green turtles to plastic
and its ingestion via debris distribution, habitat use and digestive
tract examination. Results indicated that there is considerable overlap
of frontal accumulated plastic and core foraging areas of the animals.
Exposure results in ingestion, as shown by the high frequency of plastic
found in the digestive tracts. The Río de la Plata estuarine front is an
area of conservation concern for young green turtles.
Keywords: Marine debris; Argentina–Uruguay; Marine turtles; Pollution;
Habitat degradation; Río de la Plata
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