AssetID: 53564872
Headline: Halloween Toy Among Hundreds Of Plastic Items Found In The Guts Of Dead Sea Turtles
Caption: Halloween toy was discovered in the guts of a dead sea turtle in the Mediterranean. The rubber witch's finger was found among hundreds of plastic items found among deceased turtles. Researchers examined 135 loggerhead turtles either washed up or killed as “bycatch” (accidentally caught) in fishing nets off northern Cyprus. More than 40% of the turtles contained “macroplastics” (pieces larger than 5mm). The research team, led by the University of Exeter and the North Cyprus Society for the Protection of Turtles (SPOT) say loggerheads are a potential “bioindicator” species that could help them understand the scale and impact of plastic pollution. The study found a total of 492 macroplastic pieces, including 67 inside one turtle. The turtles in the study were found over a 10-year period (2012-22) and incidences of macroplastic ingestion did not increase over that period but remained stable.
Keywords: Halloween Toy,Among,Hundreds,Plastic,Items,Found,Guts,Dead Sea Turtles,Cyprus,Macroplastics,Ocean,Sea,Bioindicator,University of Exeter,North Cyprus Society,Pollution,Climate Change,Animals,Animal,Deceased,Natural World,Wildlife
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