Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Biology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Department of Biology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 Dec;209(Pt A):117029. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117029. Epub 2024 Oct 10.
Marine plastics and other debris constitute a major threat to many marine species. Over 12 million tons of plastics are estimated to reach the oceans annually, causing adverse effects on hundreds of marine species. The Arabian Gulf is a small, sub-tropical and semi-enclosed gulf with extreme environmental conditions with high potential to accumulate marine debris. Sea turtles are especially vulnerable to plastic ingestion although data on marine plastics in juvenile sea turtles from this region is limited. Juvenile sea turtles are also vulnerable to cold stunning triggered by different environmental factors. We collected stranded sea turtles from different sites along the Abu Dhabi shoreline to characterize timing of strandings in relation to environmental factors. We also evaluated the marine debris ingested by sea turtles. Live individuals collected were kept in controlled conditions to allow them to recover. During this period, marine debris in feces were sorted and enumerated. In addition, individuals that were dead during collection were necropsied and the plastics in their gastrointestinal tracts were characterized. Industrial plastic pellets, sheet-like user plastics, and thread-like user plastics were recorded. All the live turtles (n = 55) passed plastics with their feces, and 85 % of the necropsied turtles (n = 47) had plastics in their gastrointestinal tracks. Plastic fragments constituted the largest proportion of marine debris recorded from turtles, followed by industrial pellets. We suggest that juvenile sea turtles that float for extended periods under mats of Sargassum eat vesicles or air bladders that resemble industrial pellets in their shape and size. Timing and location of strandings was associated with dominating Shamal winds in the Arabian Gulf. Condition of individuals that are cold-stunned could be further exacerbated by plastic ingestion. Long-term assessment of plastics in coastal zones is needed to better understand plastic pollution in the Arabian Gulf and to mitigate impacts on marine species.
海洋塑料和其他碎片对许多海洋物种构成了重大威胁。据估计，每年有超过 1200 万吨塑料进入海洋，对数百种海洋物种造成了不利影响。阿拉伯湾是一个小的、亚热带和半封闭的海湾，环境条件极端，有大量海洋碎片堆积的潜力。海龟特别容易误食塑料，尽管关于该地区幼年海龟的海洋塑料数据有限。幼年海龟也容易受到不同环境因素引发的冷休克。我们从阿布扎比海岸线的不同地点收集了搁浅的海龟，以确定与环境因素有关的搁浅时间。我们还评估了海龟摄入的海洋碎片。收集到的活体个体被保存在受控环境中，以使其恢复。在此期间，对海龟粪便中的海洋碎片进行分类和计数。此外，对收集时死亡的个体进行尸检，并对其胃肠道中的塑料进行了特征描述。记录了工业塑料颗粒、片状用户塑料和线状用户塑料。所有活的海龟（n=55）都通过粪便排出了塑料，85%的尸检海龟（n=47）的胃肠道中都有塑料。从海龟身上记录到的海洋碎片中，塑料碎片的比例最大，其次是工业颗粒。我们认为，在马尾藻席下漂浮时间较长的幼年海龟会吃掉形状和大小类似于工业颗粒的囊泡或气囊。搁浅的时间和地点与阿拉伯湾盛行的沙姆沙伊赫风有关。因冷休克而搁浅的个体的状况可能因塑料摄入而进一步恶化。需要对沿海地区的塑料进行长期评估，以更好地了解阿拉伯湾的塑料污染，并减轻其对海洋物种的影响。
