Plastic Found in One-Third of Leatherback Turtles

Antaletriangle · 04-10-2009, 11:31 AM

Emily Sohn, Discovery News

Leatherback turtles are ancient creatures with a modern problem: Plastic.

A new study looked at necropsy reports of more than 400 leatherbacks that have died since 1985 and found plastic in the digestive systems of more than a third of the animals. 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."

burgundia · 04-10-2009, 01:10 PM

My friend visited China last year and took a boat trip along the Yangtsy river. Everything from the boat, all the waste, was thrown into the river. And we all know where the rivers flow....

Dantheman62 · 04-11-2009, 08:24 PM

Yeah it's a shame that some people have to be such pigs! It can be bad here in the US, depending on which state or city you're in. Florida is bad, we used to joke that the highest point in Florida is the trash dumps.

dagon · 04-11-2009, 08:39 PM

plastic ring

dagon · 04-11-2009, 11:07 PM

got to see this. george was one of us. rip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eScDfYzMEEw

Dantheman62 · 04-12-2009, 05:17 PM

Love that Carlin video dagon!!

04-10-2009, 11:31 AM	#1
Antaletriangle Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: U.K. Posts: 3,380	Plastic Found in One-Third of Leatherback Turtles Emily Sohn, Discovery News Leatherback turtles are ancient creatures with a modern problem: Plastic. A new study looked at necropsy reports of more than 400 leatherbacks that have died since 1985 and found plastic in the digestive systems of more than a third of the animals. 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."

04-10-2009, 01:10 PM	#2
burgundia Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Poland Posts: 3,442	Re: Plastic Found in One-Third of Leatherback Turtles My friend visited China last year and took a boat trip along the Yangtsy river. Everything from the boat, all the waste, was thrown into the river. And we all know where the rivers flow....

04-11-2009, 08:24 PM	#3
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Re: Plastic Found in One-Third of Leatherback Turtles Yeah it's a shame that some people have to be such pigs! It can be bad here in the US, depending on which state or city you're in. Florida is bad, we used to joke that the highest point in Florida is the trash dumps.

04-11-2009, 08:39 PM	#4
dagon Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Glen Ellen Ca Posts: 611	Re: Plastic Found in One-Third of Leatherback Turtles plastic ring

04-11-2009, 11:07 PM	#5
dagon Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Glen Ellen Ca Posts: 611	Re: Plastic Found in One-Third of Leatherback Turtles got to see this. george was one of us. rip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eScDfYzMEEw

04-12-2009, 05:17 PM	#6
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Re: Plastic Found in One-Third of Leatherback Turtles Love that Carlin video dagon!!