Impact of accumulated beach litter on Chelonia mydas L. 1758 (green turtle) hatchlings of the Samandag coast, Hatay, Turkey

Samandag coast, located in the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean, is specifically used by Chelonia mydas (green turtles) as nesting area. While predators, such as foxes, crabs and dogs, naturally exist in the area, human impact by means of solid waste accumulation on the shoreline helps such predators to prey on more than a quarter of emerged green turtle hatchlings (an estimated value) in the area, entrapping them during their short shoreline trips from their nests to the sea or beach litter.