title: Hazards in hanging gardens: A report on failures of recognition by green turtles and their conservation implications.
abstract: Marine species are experiencing unprecedented global impacts due to anthropogenic debris. Many recent studies have pointed out the hazards associated with marine litter ingestion, especially plastic debris - the most abundant and ubiquitous items in coastal and oceanic environments worldwide. In this study we provide the first in situ evidence of consumption of non-discarded synthetic rope fragments by green turtles. We explored the environmental risks to this endangered species associated with the grazing and consumption of anthropogenic debris in zones of human activity. Efforts to combat debris ingestion and reduce anthropogenic debris discharged into the world's oceans should be a priority for decision-makers and will need to involve multiple-approaches and the adoption of more environmentally friendly products and practices by the international community.
authors.affiliation: CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, 70040-020 Brasília, DF, Brazil; Associação Brasileira do Lixo Marinho (ABLM), Brazil. Electronic address: gustavofcsouza@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Gustavo Freire
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: de Carvalho-Souza
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Compostos Orgânicos em Ecossistemas Costeiros e Marinhos (OrganoMAR), Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Arquitetura, s/n, Cidade Universitária, 50740-550 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de A Miranda
authors.affiliation: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Departamento de Biología (Botánica), C/ Darwin 2, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pataro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D004435:Eating; D056727:Endangered Species; D000072506:Gardens; D006801:Humans; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010969:Plastics; D014426:Turtles; D014866:Waste Products; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D014866:Waste Products; D014873:Water Pollutants
keywords: Marine debris; human impacts; litter; sea turtles