Ingestão de Resíduos Sólidos Antropogênicos por Tartarugas-Marinhas na Costa Brasileira

Abstract

We aimed to quantify the ingestion of anthropogenic marine debris (AMD) by sea turtles based on studies on the diet of species found on the Brazilian coast. The data were obtained by literature review, using Google Scholar for the search in scientific journals, since 2009, with the keywords "marine turtle"; "sea turtle"; "debris"; "plastic"; "litter"; "diet"; "food habits"; eating habits; "Brazil". Fifteen studies were selected from the northeast, southeast and south regions, with Chelonia mydas being the most studied. The number of individuals analyzed ranged from 13 to 777, the percentage of turtles that consumed the debris ranged from 20 to 100% per study, and death caused primarily by ingestion of RSA reached 65%. Plastics (82%) were the most reported AMD, with frequent ingestion among sea turtles, especially among the omnivorous and coastal ones (Chelonia mydas and Eretmochelys imbricata), with a more generalized dietary habit. In the face of the increasing accumulation of AMD and its persistence in the marine environment, this review reveals its ingestion as a severe threat to sea turtles with potential risk of decreasing their populations.