Researchers Pull Plastic Straw Out of Sea Turtle’s Nose in Heartbreaking Effort to Help

[Omaha Steve]

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http://www.care2.com/causes/researchers-pull-plastic-straw-out-of-sea-turtles-nose-in-heartbreaking-effort-to-help.html

by Alicia Graef August 19, 2015 5:30 pm

We talk a lot about the problems with plastic pollution and the effect it’s having on marine life, but the magnitude of the issue doesn’t always hit home until we see the direct impact our actions are having.

Researchers studying sea turtles off the coast of Costa Rica just offered a harrowing glimpse into just how badly one tiny little disposable item can hurt an animal by sharing a video of their efforts to help a sea turtle who had a plastic drinking straw lodged up its nose.

A team working with Christine Figgener, a Marine Biology PhD candidate at Texas A&M University, and Dr. Nathan J. Robinson, a post-doctoral fellow who specializes in sea turtles at Indiana-Purdue University, discovered an olive ridley sea turtle who was in need of some help.

At first, they thought the object in the turtle’s nose was a parasitic worm, but after cutting a piece off and examining it, they realize it’s a plastic straw as one very unimpressed sea turtle is seen sneezing and gasping through the effort.

FULL story at link.

[benld74]

1. I saw this video previously. Its heartbreaking but worth watching,,,,

Success comes. Its a wonder how the poor thing was able to breath properly.

[Triana]

2. That poor baby! I cringed when I watched this.

It's said that the turtle was observed for a while then released so I guess it's OK but what HELL the poor thing had to endure because of polluting humans. Heartbreaking!

[turbinetree]

3. I just sat here in my chair and became extremely sad for Sea Smoke..................................

what can you really say-------------------

[Quantess]

4. Poor kid!

[AtomicKitten]

5. I wish they had taken him for vet care. It looks like they hurt him more than helped him.

Poor thing.