An examination of dead loggerhead turtles in the Adriatic Sea found that one-third of the turtles had swallowed marine debris — including plastic bags, rope, foam, and fishing line — an indication of the impact of trash and pollution in a critical feeding ground for the turtles. One of the turtles had ingested 15 pieces of plastic that nearly filled its stomach, according to researchers from the University of Zagreb. That was enough to “probably cause the death of this individual,” 
one of the team members told the BBC. The shallow waters of the northern Adriatic — a critical feeding area for Mediterranean turtles — are also among the most polluted waters in Europe, according to the research team’s study, published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin. And while the full impact on wildlife is unknown, the scientists say the pollution is likely harmful, if not fatal, to a range of creatures, from large mammals to invertebrates. “Loggerheads are opportunistic feeders which will eat almost anything that is in front of them and plastic stays around for a very long time in the sea,” said Romana Gracan, a researcher at the University of Zagreb.
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A loggerhead sea turtle