Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L01047:reg:5:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L01047
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 5 (pt 2/2)
Character Range: 12691–14594

Image: © Britta Denise Hardesty

           Studies published between 1985 and 2012 identified general plastic as the main debris ingested by marine turtles, followed by soft plastic, rope and styrofoam (Schuyler et al. 2014). Up to 52 per cent of sea turtles may have ingested debris (Schuyler et al. 2016). Other research suggests that turtle nesting activity (and therefore recruitment of new generations) may also be impacted by marine debris. Fujisaki and Lamont (2016), found a substantial increase in loggerhead turtle nesting activity after the removal of large debris from nest beaches in Florida, USA.
           Plastic ingestion studies on fish are still in their infancy, especially in the southern hemisphere (Cannon et al., 2016). There is, however, experimental evidence that ingested microbeads can transfer sorbed pollutants (specifically polybrominated diphenyl ethers) to Murray River rainbow fish (Melanotaenia fuviatilis) (Wardrop et al., 2016).

           The size range of microplastics overlaps with the preferred particle size ingested by animals at the base of the marine food web; detritus-, suspension- and filter-feeders are readily able to ingest the fragments. This leads to uptake and trophic transfer of the plastics themselves and any chemicals they contain or have absorbed from seawater (Galloway and Lewis, 2016). Ingestion of polystyrene microparticles has been shown to interfere with energy uptake and allocation, reproduction, and offspring performance in oysters (Sussarellu et al., 2016).
           There is no information available on uptake or biological effects of microplastics originating from marine or terrestrial debris and subsequently ingested by humans through the food chain (Galloway, 2015). Microplastic and chemical contaminant transfers, and the possible accumulation of such contaminants in marine food webs, requires further investigation.