@article{8d5b1a7032b342d29d87c173d81b60c6,
title = "Plastic ingestion in oceanic-stage loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) off the North Atlantic subtropical gyre",
abstract = "Juvenile oceanic-stage sea turtles are particularly vulnerable to the increasing quantity of plastic coming into the oceans. In this study, we analysed the gastrointestinal tracts of 24 juvenile oceanic-stage loggerheads (Caretta caretta) collected off the North Atlantic subtropical gyre, in the Azores region, a key feeding ground for juvenile loggerheads. Twenty individuals were found to have ingested marine debris (83%), composed exclusively of plastic items (primarily polyethylene and polypropylene) identified by μ-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Large microplastics (1–5 mm) represented 25% of the total number of debris and were found in 58% of the individuals sampled. Average number of items was 15.83 ± 6.09 (± SE) per individual, corresponding to a mean dry mass of 1.07 ± 0.41 g. The results of this study demonstrate that plastic pollution acts as another stressor for this critical life stage of loggerhead turtles in the North Atlantic.",
keywords = "Azores, Caretta caretta, North-Atlantic subtropical gyre, Oceanic-stage, Plastic, Sea turtles",
author = "Pham, {Christopher K.} and Yasmina Rodr{\'i}guez and Axelle Dauphin and Rita Carri{\c c}o and Frias, {Jo{\~a}o P.G.L.} and Frederic Vandeperre and Vanessa Otero and Santos, {Marco R.} and Martins, {Helen R.} and Bolten, {Alan B.} and Bjorndal, {Karen A.}",
note = "Sem PDf. The authors would like to acknowledge the funds provided by the Gallifrey Foundation and International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) through the project Azorlit (Project Number - P01495). The study was co-financed by the Regional Government of Sea Affairs (DRAM) and by the project LIXAZ (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-00053) through the operational program AcORES 2020. We further acknowledge the project INDICIT that has received funding from the European Union under the Grant Agreement no 11.0661/2016/748064/SUB/ENV.C2. and project COSTA funded by the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Agreement number F15AP00577). The authors also acknowledge funds provided by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) through the strategic project (FCT/UID/MAR/04292/2013) granted to MARE. FV is supported by an individual grant of FCT (SFRH/BPD/110294/2015). Partial funding for this project is also from the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research through support from the Disney Conservation Fund. We would like to extend our thanks to everyone involved in the collection of stranded sea turtles through the {"}Rede de Arrojamento de Cetaceos dos Acores (RACA){"} coordinated by DRAM.",
year = "2017",
month = jan,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.06.008",
language = "English",
volume = "121",
pages = "222--229",
journal = "Marine Pollution Bulletin",
issn = "0025-326X",
publisher = "Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.",
number = "1-2",
}
