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Scientists have discovered that sea turtles consume plastic debris not because of its visual resemblance to their prey, but because of its edible odor. The discovery sheds light on why many sea creatures die.
“Often there are turtles with completely or partially blocked digestive systems because they ate the plastic debris. There is also a growing number of sea turtles that have become ill and ended up ashore because they ate plastic,” Dr. Kenneth J. Lohmann, one of the study’s authors, told the British newspaper Metro.
The scientist added that the concentration of plastics in certain areas of the world’s oceans may cause turtles and other sea creatures to perceive these places as stable food sources. According to Kenneth J. Lohmann, if that happens, it will be too late to save marine biodiversity. “The best thing we can do is to keep plastic out of the ocean altogether,” the scientist concluded.
