A global assessment of microplastic abundance and characteristics on marine turtle nesting beaches

Botterell ZLR 1 , Ardren J 2 , Dove E 2 , McArthur E 2 , Addison DS 3 , Adegbile OM 4 Show all authors , Agamboue PD 5 , Agyekumhene A 6 , Allman P 7 , Alterman A 8 , Anderson A 9 , Arenholz T 10 , Ariano-Sánchez D 11 , Arnold Z 12 , Báez JC 13 , Bahar A 14 , Barbosa C 15 , Barrios-Garrido H 16 , Başkale E 17 , Berumen ML 18 , Bézy VS 19 , Blumenthal J 20 , Borja Bosquirolli MR 21 , Boyce AJ 22 , Brammer-Robbins E 23 , Branco M 24 , Brooks AML 25 , Bunbury N 26 , Cardona L 27 , Chadwick H 2 , Chalkias G 28 , Chug K 29 , Clark J 30 , Cole M 31 , Coppock RL 31 , Cuevas E 32 , Dawson TM 33 , Denaro M 34 , Donadi R 35 , Douglas C 36 , Douglas R 36 , Drobes E 37 , Dubois C 35 , Duncan EM 2 , Elston CA 38 , Esteban N 39 , Fernandes G 24 , Ferreira-Airaud MB 24 , Finn SA 40 , Fisayo Christie J 4 , Formia A 41 , Fossette-Halot S 36 , Fuentes MMPB 37 , Galloway TS 42 , Godfrey MH 40 , Goodfellow J 43 , Guzmán-Hernández V 44 , Hart CE 45 , Hays GC 46 , Hirsch SE 47 , Hochscheid S 48 , Holloway-Adkins KG 49 , Horrocks JA 50 , Inoguchi E 51 , Inteca GE 52 , Jean C 53 , Kaska Y 17 , Koumba Mabert BD 54 , Lambot A 55 , Levy Y 56 , Lewis C 42 , Ley-Quiñonez CP 57 , Lindeque PK 58 , Llamas I 59 , Lopez-Martinez S 60 , López-Navas J 61 , Mack K 3 , Madeira FM 62 , Maffucci F 48 , Majewska R 63 , Mancini A 45 , Mansfield KL 33 , Marco A 64 , Margaritoulis D 28 , Marques da Silva I 52 , Martins S 65 , Maurer AS 66 , McFarlane WJ 67 , Mejías-Balsalobre C 68 , Montello MA 69 , Mortimer JA 70 , Nelms SE 2 , Nogués Vera J 71 , Not C 72 , Novillo-Sanjuan O 73 , Oceguera Camacho K 45 , Omessi O 14 , Ondich B 74 , Outerbridge M 75 , Paranthoen N 76 , Pate J 77 , Pate SM 78 , Patrício AR 62 , Paxinos O 28 , Pearl T 79 , Perrault JR 47 , Picknell AS 80 , Piovano S 81 , Pococa Arellano EI 82 , Ponteen A 83 , Prakash SS 81 , Quiros Rosales J 84 , Rae V 85 , Raman ABA 29 , Read T 86 , Reeve-Arnold KE 87 , Reina RD 88 , Reinhardt S 89 , Riberiro F 21 , Richardson AJ 90 , Rivas ML 91 , Rob D 36 , Roche Chaloner J 20 , Rogers CE 92 , Rojas-Cañizales D 68 , Rosell F 89 , Sacdanaku E 93 , Salgado Gallegos YM 82 , Sanchez C 94 , Santidrián Tomillo P 95 , Santillo D 96 , Santos de Mora D 21 , Sarrouf Willson M 97 , Sassoon S 56 , Schultz EA 78 , Shapland F 98 , Shaver DJ 30 , So MWK 72 , Soluri K 37 , Sounguet GP 99 , Sözbilen D 17 , Stapleton SP 100 , Steen DA 101 , Stelfox M 43 , Stewart KM 102 , Tanabe LK 103 , Tello-Sahagun LA 104 , Tomás J 105 , Torreblanca D 106 , Tucker AD 36 , Turley C 97 , Vassileva I 107 , Vieira S 108 , Villalba-Guerra MR 30 , Villaseñor Castañeda G 109 , Villaseñor Llamas R 109 , Ware M 110 , Weber SB 2 , West L 111 , Whittles C 36 , Whittock PA 112 , Widlansky J 10 , Godley BJ 2

Affiliations 

  • 1 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK. Electronic address: Z.Botterell@exeter.ac.uk
  • 2 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
  • 3 Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Naples, Florida, USA
  • 4 Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, 3 Wilmot Point Road, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
  • 5 Wildlife Conservation Society - Gabon Program, BP 7847 Libreville, Gabon
  • 6 University of Ghana, Department of Marine and Fisheries Science, Ghana
  • 7 Goshen College, Department of Biology, JN Roth Marine Biology Station, Long Key, Florida 33001, USA
  • 8 Georgia Sea Turtle Center, 214 Stable Island Rd., Jekyll Island, Georgia, 31527, USA
  • 9 Virgin Islands National Park Sea Turtle Program, USA
  • 10 Sea Turtle Trackers, PO Box 67422, St. Pete Beach, FL 33736, USA
  • 11 Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, 3800 Bø, Telemark, Norway; Centro de Estudios Ambientales y Biodiversidad, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, 18 Avenida 11-95, zona 15, 01015, Guatemala
  • 12 Sea Sense Organization, Hse #7 Seleka Street, Mikocheni B, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Plot No. 350 Regent Estate, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, PO Box 63117, Tanzania
  • 13 Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Málaga, Spain; Instituto Iberoamericano de Desarrollo Sostenible, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Av. Alemania 1090, 4810101 Temuco, Región de La Araucanía, Chile
  • 14 Israel Sea Turtle Rescue Center, National Nature and Parks Authority, Gan Leumi Beit Yanay, Kfar Vitkin, Israel
  • 15 Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Áreas Protegidas (IBAP), Dr. Alfredo Simão da Silva, Guiné-Bissau
  • 16 Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Makkah 23955, Saudi Arabia; TropWATER, James Cook University. 4811, Townsville, Australia.; Laboratorio de Ecologia General, Facultad Experimental de Ciencias, La Universidad del Zulia, 04002 Maracaibo, Venezuela
  • 17 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Türkiye
  • 18 Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
  • 19 Wildlife Conservation Association, Nosara, Costa Rica
  • 20 Department of Environment, PO Box 10202, Grand Cayman KY1-1002, Cayman Islands
  • 21 Projecto Tamar base Praia do Forte, Brazil
  • 22 Cape Eleuthera Institute, PO Box EL-26029, Rock Sound, Eleuthera, the Bahamas; Friends of the Environment, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, the Bahamas
  • 23 Jumby Bay Hawksbill Project, Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda; Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
  • 24 Associação Programa Tatô, Avenida Marginal 12 de Julho, Cidade de São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe
  • 25 Cape Eleuthera Institute, PO Box EL-26029, Rock Sound, Eleuthera, the Bahamas
  • 26 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK; Seychelles Islands Foundation, La Ciotat Building, Mahe, Seychelles
  • 27 University of Barcelona, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 585 08007 Barcelona, Spain
  • 28 ARCHELON, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece, Athens, Greece
  • 29 WWF Malaysia, Hawksbill Turtle Conservation Project, Taman Bidara Jaya 2, 78300 Masjid Tanah, Melaka, Malaysia
  • 30 Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery, Padre Island National Seashore, National Park Service, Corpus Christi, TX, USA
  • 31 Marine Ecology and Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK
  • 32 Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexico
  • 33 Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
  • 34 Caretta Calabria Conservation, Via G. Gronchi, 6, 87100 Cosenza, Italy
  • 35 Ocean Legacy Foundation, P.O. Box 30082, Parkgate, North Vancouver, BC V7H 2Y8, Canada
  • 36 Dept Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, Western Australia, Australia
  • 37 Florida State University, Marine Turtle Research, Ecology, and Conservation Group, USA
  • 38 Administrative Department, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis; St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network, P.O. Box 2298, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • 39 Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Wales, UK
  • 40 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, North Carolina, USA
  • 41 African Aquatic Conservation Fund, BP 7248 Libreville, Gabon
  • 42 Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
  • 43 Olive Ridley Project, Clitheroe, Lancashire, United Kingdom
  • 44 Consejo Consultivo de Expertos de la Comisión Interamericana para la Protección y Conservación de las Tortugas Marinas, Mexico
  • 45 Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias, A.C. La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
  • 46 Deakin Marine Research and Innovation Centre, Deakin University, Geelong, Vic., Australia
  • 47 Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach, FL, USA
  • 48 Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, 80055 Portici, Italy
  • 49 East Coast Biologists, Inc. P.O. Box 33715, Indialantic, FL 32903, United States of America; University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816, United States of America
  • 50 Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados
  • 51 Everlasting Nature of Asia, Japan
  • 52 Faculty of Natural Sciences, Lúrio University, Mozambique
  • 53 Kelonia, 46 Rue du Général de Gaulle, Saint-Leu 97436, Réunion, France
  • 54 Centre National des Données et de l'Information Oceanographiques, BP 10961, Libreville, Gabon
  • 55 CEDTM, 19 Cité des Frangipaniers, 97424, Piton Saint-Leu, La Réunion, France
  • 56 Israel Sea Turtle Rescue Center, National Nature and Parks Authority, Gan Leumi Beit Yanay, Kfar Vitkin, Israel; Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
  • 57 Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR-SIN, Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico
  • 58 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK; Marine Ecology and Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK
  • 59 Eco-Mayto A.C., Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, Mexico
  • 60 CECOUAL, University of Almeria, Spain
  • 61 The Leatherback Trust, 5736 Kinlock Place, Fort Wayne, IN 46835, USA
  • 62 cE3c Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 63 Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, 8026 Bodø, Norway; Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
  • 64 Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, C/ Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; BIOS.CV, cp 5211, Sal Rei, Boa Vista Island, Cabo Verde
  • 65 BIOS.CV, cp 5211, Sal Rei, Boa Vista Island, Cabo Verde
  • 66 Jumby Bay Hawksbill Project, Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda; National Research Council, Washington, DC, USA; NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, California, USA
  • 67 Division of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, & Computing, Manhattanville University, Purchase, NY; New York Marine Rescue Center, 467 E Main St., Riverhead, NY 11901, USA
  • 68 Rescue Center for Endangered Marine Species (CREMA), San Jose 11302, Costa Rica
  • 69 New York Marine Rescue Center, 467 E Main St., Riverhead, NY 11901, USA; School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Southampton, New York, USA
  • 70 Turtle Action Group of Seychelles, Mahé, Seychelles; Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
  • 71 Island Conservation Society, Mahé, Seychelles; Island Biodiversity and Conservation Centre, University of Seychelles, Mahé, Seychelles
  • 72 Department of Earth Sciences & Swire Institute for Marine Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • 73 Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Kongens Lyngby 2800, Denmark
  • 74 Georgia Sea Turtle Center, 214 Stable Island Rd., Jekyll Island, Georgia, 31527, USA; University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
  • 75 Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Bermuda, Bermuda
  • 76 The Office Français de la Biodiversité, France
  • 77 Marine Megafauna Foundation, 7750 Okeechobee Blvd, Ste 4-3038, West Palm Beach, FL 33411, USA
  • 78 South Carolina Department of Natural Resources- Marine Turtle Conservation Program, USA
  • 79 Assateague Island National Seashore, MD, USA
  • 80 St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network, P.O. Box 2298, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis; Center for Conservation and Ecosystem Health, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • 81 School of Marine Studies, The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay Road, Suva, Fiji
  • 82 CONANP Parque Nacional Bahía de Loreto, Loreto, BCS, Mexico
  • 83 Fisheries and Ocean Governance Unit, Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture Lands Housing and the Environment, P. O. Box 272, Brades, Montserrat
  • 84 Fundación para el Equilibrio entra la Conservación y el Desarrollo, Ostional, Costa Rica
  • 85 MEDASSET, Greece
  • 86 South Province, 6 road of Artifices, Nouméa 98807, New Caledonia
  • 87 All Out Africa Marine Research Centre, Tofo, Mozambique
  • 88 School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
  • 89 Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, 3800 Bø, Telemark, Norway
  • 90 School of Environmental Science, University of Hull, Cottingham Rd, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
  • 91 Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales., Instituto Universitario de Investigación Marina (INMAR), Campus de Excelencia del Mar (CEI-MAR), Avda. República Saharaui s/n., 11510. Puerto Real. Cádiz, Spain
  • 92 University of Plymouth, UK
  • 93 MEDASSET, Greece; Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Albania
  • 94 Seychelles Islands Foundation, La Ciotat Building, Mahe, Seychelles
  • 95 The Leatherback Trust, 5736 Kinlock Place, Fort Wayne, IN 46835, USA; Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
  • 96 Greenpeace Research Laboratories, Innovation Centre Phase 2, University of Exeter, Devon, EX4 4RN, UK
  • 97 The Environment Society of Oman (ESO), Oman
  • 98 Queensland Trust for Nature, GPO Box 162, Brisbane, Qld 4000, Australia
  • 99 Aventures Sans Frontieres, BP 7248, Libreville, Gabon
  • 100 Jumby Bay Hawksbill Project, Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda; Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
  • 101 Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 1105 SW Williston Rd, Gainesville, Florida 32601, USA
  • 102 St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network, P.O. Box 2298, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis; Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 334, Basseterre, St. Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • 103 Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Asian School of the Environment, College of Science, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
  • 104 Estación Biológica Majahuas, Tomatlán, Jalisco, Mexico; Investigación, Capacitación y Soluciones Ambientales y Sociales A.C., Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico
  • 105 Marine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Insitute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Parc Cientific, University of Valencia, Spain
  • 106 Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Málaga, Spain
  • 107 Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
  • 108 Associação Programa Tatô, Avenida Marginal 12 de Julho, Cidade de São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe; Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
  • 109 Campamento Tortuguero El Naranjo, 6372100 Compostela, Nayarit, Mexico
  • 110 Florida State University, Marine Turtle Research, Ecology, and Conservation Group, USA; Florida Gulf Coast University Department of Biological Sciences, Florida, USA
  • 111 Sea Sense Organization, Hse #7 Seleka Street, Mikocheni B, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
  • 112 Pendoley Environmental Pty Ltd, 12A Pitt Way, Booragoon, WA 6154, Australia
Mar Pollut Bull, 2025 Mar 20;215:117768.
PMID: 40117935 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.117768

Abstract

Sandy coastal beaches are an important nesting habitat for marine turtles and a known sink for plastic pollution. Existing methodologies for monitoring the spatiotemporal patterns of abundance and composition of plastic are, however, disparate. We engaged a global network of marine turtle scientists to implement a large-scale sampling effort to assess microplastic abundance in beach sediments on marine turtle nesting beaches. Sand samples were collected from 209 sites spanning six oceans, microplastics (1-5 mm) were extracted through stacked sieves, visually identified, and a sub-sample verified via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Microplastics were detected in 45 % (n = 94) of beaches and within five ocean basins. Microplastic presence and abundance was found to vary markedly within and among ocean basins, with the highest proportion of contaminated beaches found in the Mediterranean (80 %). We present all data in an accessible, open access format to facilitate the extension of monitoring efforts and empower novel analytical approaches.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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