title: Impacts of plastic ingestion on post-hatchling loggerhead turtles off South Africa.
abstract: Twenty-four of 40 (60%) loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta post-hatchlings (carapace<9cm) that died within 2months of stranding on southern Cape beaches in April 2015 contained ingested anthropogenic debris. Plastic comprised of 99% of debris: 77% hard plastic fragments, 10% flexible packaging and 8% fibres; industrial pellets comprised only 3%, compared to ~70% in 1968-1973, when 12% of stranded post-hatchlings contained plastics. Turtles selected for white (38%) and blue (19%) items, but translucent items (23%) were under-represented compared to beach mesodebris. Ingested loads did not decrease up to 52days in captivity, indicating long retention times. Plastic killed 11 turtles by blocking their digestive tracts or bladders, and contributed to the deaths of five other turtles. Our results indicate that the amount and diversity of plastic ingested by post-hatchling loggerhead turtles off South Africa have increased over the last four decades, and now kill some turtles.
authors.affiliation: Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa. Electronic address: pryan31@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: Two Oceans Aquarium, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town 8000, South Africa.
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.affiliation: Two Oceans Aquarium, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town 8000, South Africa.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spiby
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ronel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nel
authors.affiliation: Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osborne
authors.affiliation: Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
authors.forename: Vonica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Perold
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004435:Eating; D010969:Plastics; D013019:South Africa; D014426:Turtles; D014873:Water Pollutants
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D014873:Water Pollutants
keywords: Agulhas Current; Caretta caretta; Colour selection; Marine debris; Retention time; South Africa