Plastic Bags: Sea Turtles’ Next Jellyfish?

Have you ever wondered why turtles eat the plastic people throw away? How is this issue causing a drastic endangerment of certain species of turtles? Jellyfish, one of the world’s most complex sea creatures, are related to the endangerment of turtles, as jellyfish are actually the main source of food for certain species of turtles, like the Galapagos Green turtle. Oftentimes this species of turtle confuses these elegant sea creatures with dirty ocean pollution.

The Galapagos Green turtle is a unique sea creature due to its serrated jaw and single pair of scales covering its eyes. Speedy swimmers, these turtles can swim over 35 mph due to their large flippers and even sleep underwater! Unfortunately, this species is becoming severely endangered, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and this is mainly due to water pollutants like plastics. As jellyfish are their main source of food, these turtles tend to roam around the food source, where there are many plastic bags and straws. Due to the appearance of these items underwater, the turtles often mistake plastic pollution for jellyfish and ingest them.

In addition to the consumption of plastic, many turtles are getting entangled in discarded plastic and sea equipment, which is producing drastic results in the turtle population. A study conducted by the University of Exeter found that, “91 per cent of the entangled turtles were found dead”. They also discovered, “on beach strandings, that more than 1,000 turtles are dying a year, after becoming tangled up, but this is almost certainly a gross underestimate. Young turtles and hatchlings are particularly vulnerable to entanglement”.

The underlying cause for all of this: us. The straws we take for granted, the plastic grocery bags we consume an endless amount of, and the random unsustainable materials we dump into the sea, thinking that they won’t affect our lives. However, all of these actions have equal reactions, and we are contributing to the global pandemic that is climate change. We waste about 11 billion tonnes of plastic each year, which is seriously affecting the environment. Turtles and sea creatures that are being harmed by our waste are inducing other effects on the sea life populations. For instance, the lack of sea turtles is contributing to the jellyfish population soaring dangerously high, which is creating unbalance in the seafood chain and ocean ecosystem.

There are actions being taken for this issue, such as the UNEP’s clean seas campaign, an organization that spreads awareness and aims to reduce plastic litter in the seas. The Galapagos Conservation Trust also protects “vulnerable ecosystems found on Galapagos by conserving species, restoring habitats and driving sustainable solutions” for this issue that is burning in rapid fires around the world. Many people are also reducing the number of plastics they consume and helping to clean beaches and oceans of plastic contamination.

What will you do to help save the turtles?

References

Cleanseas. (2019). Cleanseas.org. https://www.cleanseas.org/

Fatal attraction: Turtles and plastic. (2018, May 23). UN Environment. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/fatal-attraction-turtles-and-plastic

Marine turtles dying after becoming entangled in plastic rubbish. (2017). ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171218154235.htm

The Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT). (2014). Galapagos Conservation Trust. https://galapagosconservation.org.uk/