Microplastics have been found deep in the sand on beaches where sea turtles lay their eggs.
Microplastics have been found deep in the sand on beaches where sea turtles lay their eggs.
University of Exeter scientists found an average of 5,300 particles of plastic per cubic metre at depths of 60cm (2ft) on beaches in Cyprus used by green turtles and loggerheads.
At the surface, up to 130,000 fragments of plastic were found per cubic metre – the second-worst level ever recorded on a beach (the worst was in Guangdong, South China).
Researchers say that if conditions worsen such pollution could eventually begin to affect hatching success and even the ratio of male and female turtle hatchlings.
Continue reading at University of Exeter.
Image via Pixabay.
