Accidental ingestion of largest marine debris by a leatherback turtle

Marine debris poses a major threat to marine life including sea turtles. It has been identified as a cause of death in endangered sea turtles and is critical concern in its conservation efforts. In this study, we discovered a large clear plastic sheet (106 cm × 118 cm) in the gastrointestinal tract of a dead stranded leatherback turtle. This debris is the largest ever reported to be ingested by a leatherback turtle and could serve as an indicator for the maximum debris size that sea turtles can ingest. While we could not definitively determine whether the leatherback died from ingesting this debris, it is plausible that such large debris could strain the turtle's gastrointestinal tract. Physical damage caused by the ingestion of large debris remains a critical and often overlooked threat to marine fauna, particularly sea turtles, highlighting the need for increased attention to this specific aspect of marine pollution.