When balloons deflate and fall from the sky, they often wind up in the ocean, and become part of the 14 billion tons of trash that fill the seas each year and kill marine animals around the world. Jellyfish, plastic bags, balloons; these all look like food to a hungry sea turtle. But plastics and trash don’t belong inside a sea turtle or in the ocean at all. They can lead to a number of environmental problems. They are especially dangerous for marine animals that can become entangled or accidentally ingest these items while feeding. Once ingested, the plastic items can cause a variety of issues. Digestive tracts can become blocked, which can lead to starvation and death. Over 100 million marine animals die each year due to marine debris, according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy. And more than half of the world’s sea turtles have ingested some plastic or human trash, according to a University of Queensland study. Credit: BRYCE TREVETT AND ANGEL HERNANDEZ
