The death of a baby turtle named Kiwi is a stark reminder of the real world impacts of plastic pollution, especially microplastics, in our oceans, says SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium.
The baby green sea turtle, estimated to be about three months old, was found last week by a member of the public, washed up on Sunrise Beach amongst a pile of plastic rubbish on the sand. Kiwi was brought to the aquarium where glucose and fluids were administered to combat Kiwi’s weak and lethargic state.
After three days of rehabilitation Kiwi began to eat, however, with this came the realisation that Kiwi had ingested a number of microplastic pieces which began passing through the turtle’s digestive system.
Tragically, after six days in care, little Kiwi passed away, with the cause of death considered to be internal damage due to microplastic ingestion.
“Turtle hatchlings are very susceptible to ingesting microplastics at their young age as they cannot dive into the depths of the ocean to hunt for food as their parents do. Hatchlings can often mistake pieces of microplastic for food, which as we have seen in the case of Kiwi, can have deadly consequences,” Aquarium vet nurse Brittany Attwood said.
CSIRO research from 2020 suggests that there are 14 million tonnes of microplastics on the sea floor globally, which is more than double the amount of plastic pollution estimated to be on the ocean’s surface.
