One in three loggerhead turtles in the Adriatic Sea has plastic in its intestine, according to researchers studying the impact of debris on marine life.
The shallow waters of the Adriatic are important feeding grounds for the turtles as they develop into adults.
But the sea-floor is one of the most polluted in Europe.
The team studied the bodies of dead sea turtles that had been stranded or accidentally caught by fishing vessels.
The impacts of debris on marine creatures are not entirely clear. But scientists have found that animals ranging from invertebrates to large mammals consume plastic waste and are concerned that it could damage their health.
For a turtle, just a few grams of debris can be fatal if it obstructs the gut.
The researchers from the University of Zagreb found that more than a third of the 54 turtles they examined had ingested marine debris of some kind including plastic bags, wrapping foils, ropes, polystyrene foam and fishing line.
One turtle had consumed 15 pieces of plastic, which almost filled its stomach.
Although the plastic weighted just 0.71g in total, they said it was enough to probably cause the death of this individual.
Plastic can weaken the turtles by taking up space in the gut which would otherwise digest food.
Full article and link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9155000/9155453.stm
