Plastic can be incredibly dangerous for sea turtles because the creatures can mistake its smell for food, according to research published Monday.
"We found that loggerhead sea turtles respond to odors from biofouled plastics in the same way they respond to food odorants, suggesting that turtles may be attracted to plastic debris not only by the way it looks, but by the way it smells," Joseph Pfaller of the University of Florida, Gainesville, said in a release. "This 'olfactory trap' might help explain why sea turtles ingest and become entangled in plastic so frequently."
Biofouling happens when algae, plants, microbes and small animals accumulate on wet surfaces, as happens to plastics in the ocean.
It's long been believed sea turtles mistake plastics for prey like jellyfish, but not much was known about how scent could play a role in drawing them in.
