Plastics Versus Turtles: An Overview of the Uruguayan Case

Abstract Plastic pollution is now considered to be one of the main threats to the marine environment. Plastics are ubiquitous and persistent pollutants that tend to undergo fragmentation and be concentrated in oceanic gyres and coastal fronts by the combined actions of winds and currents. When these garbage patches overlap with key habitats for sea turtles, the consequences for these species are dramatic. Ingestion, bioaccumulation, and entanglement, among others, are frequent impacts of plastic pollution on sea turtles’ health. Since 1999, the local NGO Karumbe has been working tirelessly for the conservation of marine turtles in Uruguay. This chapter discusses the experiences of the Karumbe initiative in the last 20 years.