Chemical threats to sea turtles

Abstract

Sea turtles are considered of increasing interest as potential bioindicatorsfor pollution in marine ecosystems. This chapter give an overview of the ecotoxicology of organic and inorganic pollutants in sea turtles. Firstly, and according to the literature, some generalities of these pollutants in sea turtle species are briefly described. Secondly, some biological factors that can influence the load of these pollutants in the tissues or eggs are considered. Thirdly, we give an overview of the occurrence of toxic pollutants effects, and finally we detail the current knowledge on the use of biomarkers that are available to assess the toxicological effects of chemicals in these marine reptiles.