Interaction between loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and marine litter in Sardinia (Western Mediterranean Sea)

Andrea Camedda, Stefano Marra, Marco Matiddi, Giorgio Massaro, Stefania 
Coppa, Angelo Perilli, Angelo Ruiu, Paolo Briguglio, G. Andrea de Lucia, 
Interaction between loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and marine 
litter in Sardinia (Western Mediterranean Sea), Marine Environmental 
Research, Available online 21 December 2013, ISSN 0141-1136, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2013.12.004.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014111361300216X)
Abstract: Anthropogenic debris in the environment affects many species 
that accidentally ingest it. The aim of this study is to evaluate the 
quantity and composition of marine litter ingested by loggerheads in 
Sardinia, thus supplying for the lack of data in the existing literature 
for this area. Seventeen of the 121 (14.04%) monitored turtles presented 
debris in their digestive tracts. Litter in faecal pellet of alive 
individuals (n = 91) and in gastro-intestinal contents of dead ones (n = 
30) was categorized, counted and weighed. User plastic was the main 
category of ingested debris with a frequency of occurrence of 13.22% of 
the total sample, while sheet (12.39%) and fragments (9.09%) were the 
most relevant sub-categories. This study highlights for the first time 
the incidence of litter in alive turtles in Sardinia. This contribution 
improves the knowledge about marine litter interaction on Caretta 
caretta as bio-indicator. Results will be useful for the Marine Strategy 
implementation.
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Interaction between loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and marine litter in Sardinia (Western Mediterranean Sea)