Marine debris can entangle and harm marine organisms. For air-breathing organisms, such as the green sea turtle, entanglement in debris can prevent animals from being able to swim to the surface, causing them to drown.

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Credit

NOAA PIFSC

For citation purposes, unless otherwise noted, this article was authored by the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

Last updated Tue, 04/25/2017 - 05:31 pm EDT