Impacts of anthropogenic debris on marine turtles in the western North Atlantic Ocean

Southeast Fisheries Science Center (U.S.)

"Early information on sea turtle feeding habits indicated that sea turtles were capable of eating large amounts of non-nutritional items. Carr (1952) reported that a hawksbill turtle was found with two pounds of "dead bark and wood" in its stomach, an interesting observation for an animal which is now believed to be a strict spongivore (Meylan, 1988). It was 23 years later that Carr and Stancyk (1975) reported large amounts of plastics being eaten by Caribbean hawksbills, a disturbing omen of what was happening to the World's oceans"--Introduction, paragraph 1.

Technical Memorandum

Atlantic Coast (U.S.)

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)