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Why do sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish?
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plastic pollution
A volunteer collecting plastic nurdles (pellets less than 0.2 inch [0.5 centimeter] in diameter) at Barreiras Beach, Corrubedo, Spain.
Sea turtles, particularly leatherback sea turtles, often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish because the bags visually resemble their natural gelatinous prey when floating in the water.12
This case of mistaken identity is a significant aspect of plastic pollution, as these animals ingest the debris, which can lead to fatal consequences such as asphyxiation or starvation. It is a moral imperative to address this crisis by reducing our reliance on single-use plastics, such as produce bags and packaging, to protect marine life from these preventable hazards.23