Biology courtesy faculty member and former graduate student Dr. Joseph Pfaller from the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research has published new evidence that sea turtles are attracted to plastics by their smell. Prior to this study it was assumed that sea turtles mistake plastics floating in the ocean for prey by using visual cues. This new study published in Current Biology demonstrates the importance of odor cues from plastics that are covered with marine organisms. For more information see: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/sea-turtles-smell-plastic-ocean-food
https://news.clas.ufl.edu/why-do-sea-turtles-consume-plastic-blame-the-smell/