Poster abstracts and manuscripts from the Third International ...

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contained little except plastic debris. This included a bleach
bottle, 30 feet of polypropylene line, a fishing float, plastic
caps and a large piece of what is thought to be unprocessed
natural rubber. A few squid beaks also were found. There were
no other food remains in the stomach. Members of the Marine
Mammal Stranding Team described the whale's condition as
emaciated. Her skull was prominent, stretching the skin with
little fat to fill out the spaces. Thus, the death of the whale
was attributed to malnutrition brought about by the ingestion of
plastic debris.
Fortunately, an amateur video photographer filmed the whale and
the necropsy. This footage, combined with interviews from the
members of the Marine Mammal Stranding Team, has been organized
into a 17-minute educational video. This video will be ready for
sale in March, 1994 and will be shown on North Carolina public
television in late spring.
The production and distribution of the video, "The Death of a
Whale" is a direct response to the need for the public awareness.
The footage is unique. The reaction of the small crowd during
the necropsy parallels the emotional response of the pilot
viewers of the video -- one of disbelief and great sadness.
Viewers want to know what they can do to prevent this tragedy in
the future. Thus, the video makes an impact on its viewers and
increases awareness of marine debris issues.
Teas, Wendy G. and Wayne N. Witzell
Impacts of Anthropogenic Debris on Marine Turtles in the
Western North Atlantic Ocean
National Marine Fisheries Service, Miami, Florida, USA
(Presented in the Manuscripts section.)