Plastic pollution is killing marine megafauna, but how do we prioritize policies to reduce mortality?

Lauren Roman, et al., The Society for Conservation Biology Plastics & Pollution

Plastic pollution is killing marine megafauna, but how do we prioritize policies to reduce mortality?
Naja Bertolt Jensen on Unsplash

Marine megafauna are known to mistakenly eat anthropogenic debris and die from consequent gastrointestinal blockages, perforations and malnutrition, as well as suffer sublethal impacts. We collated information on which specific items were ingested and responsible for causing death across 80 marine species, including cetaceans, pinnipeds, sea turtles, and seabirds. We evaluated which items were responsible for the highest mortality, and which, if reduced by policy responses or other means, could result in the largest reduction in debris mortality.

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