Sea turtles seem to think that sea debris smells like food. Sea debris could be anything like cigarette butts, fishing gear or plastic bags. Researchers at the University of North Carolina have discovered that ocean plastics inhabited by algae and microscopic ocean life, produce similar odors to the food eaten by sea turtles. Plastic in the form of plastic bags usually don't have a strong odor when we come into contact with it. Once this material ends up in the ocean, sea life tends to make it their homes.
Algae and microscopic organisms release compounds such as dimethyl sulfide which give off a really foul-smelling odor. Due to these compounds, the material starts to smell like food that sea turtles eat. A study was conducted to find out why sea turtles were attracted to plastic. Kayla Goforth and her team at the University of Georgia Marina Extension, took empty bottles and submerged them in an experimental water tank. They decided to put fifteen Loggerhead turtles into this tank for testing purposes. A pipe ran into the tank and a fan blew the odors across the surface of the water. Four tests were conducted with deionized water, clean plastic as controls, turtle food and aged sea plastic. The team tracked the time spent out of the water and how many breaths they took. These turtles usually remain underwater for about 4 to 5 minutes and exchange air as they return to the surface. It has been suggested that the main reason sea turtles end up eating and getting tangled in plastic is because they smell it out just like food.
Additionally, plastic appears to look like jellyfish as they float, which could confuse sea turtles. Everyone should be careful when using plastic as it might end up in the ocean, which is detrimental to turtles.
