Ingestion of marine plastic debris by green turtle(Chelonia mydas) in davao gulf, Mindanao, Philippines

Marine plastic debris is a global problem that is threatening marine biodiversity. Different marine organisms have been exposed to the lethal and sub-lethal effects of this problem. Sub-lethal effects include reduced fitness due to reduced feeding, reduced reproductive output, limb amputation, and exposure to diseases and toxic materials, while lethal effects include drowning, gastro-intestinal blockage, and stomach rupture. Marine turtles are very vulnerable to these effects since these organisms actively ingest plastic mistaking it as prey. This adds stress to the declining population of marine turtles. On 17 April 2015, a dead adult female green turtle was recovered in Brgy. Lapu-lapu, Agdao, Davao City, Philippines. Necropsy showed that several plastic materials caused blockage in the pyloric end of the stomach which may have caused the turtle’s mortality.