Sea turtles that died from eating plastic marine debris highlight pollution problem in Hong Kong
- Two green sea turtles, a protected and endangered species, washed up dead in Hong Kong, and autopsies show eating plastic debris was a factor in their deaths
- Scientist Brian Kot, who conducted the virtual autopsies, says ‘Eating plastic debris leads to blockages in their guts … and perforation and a slow death’
The contents of a container stored in a laboratory at the City University of Hong Kong campus in Kowloon Tong are nothing special. There’s a plastic wrapping from a yogurt drink, a water bottle label, fish bait packaging and a surgical glove.
What’s of interest is that the collection was found in the oesophagus, stomach and intestine of a juvenile green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) that was discovered washed up on Sham Tseng beach, Tsuen Wan, on October 13 as Typhoon Nangka swept past the city.
“These were also found inside the turtle,” says Brian Kot Chin-wing, holding up specimen jars containing fishing line and rusty fishing hooks.
Kot is visiting assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and researcher in the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution at the university.
He and his team were shocked because it was the second green sea turtle – a protected species in Hong Kong and listed as endangered under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species – handed to the research team last month.
