Current State and Risk Assessment of Chemical Pollutants on Caribbean Sea Turtles: A Literature Review

Marine sea turtles are particularly susceptible to chemical pollution, due to their long longevity and frequent inhabitation of coastal environments close to anthropogenic impact. Over the past two decades, many negative health effects caused by different kinds of pollutants have been reported in global marine turtle populations. However, the threat of chemical pollutants has been largely overlooked in the Caribbean Sea, which includes the Dutch Caribbean islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. To date, no specific studies for the Caribbean Netherlands have assessed the risks chemicals pose to marine sea turtles.