Sea turtles have more than a one in five chance of dying after ingesting a single piece of plastic, a study by CSIRO researchers reveals.

Scientists analysed almost 1000 washed-up turtles on Australian beaches and found a direct link between the amount of plastic consumed and the demise of the marine animal.

A healthy green sea turtle is cleaned by a cleaner wrasse after enjoying a meal of jellyfish. Credit:Kathy Townsend

“We knew that turtles were consuming a lot of plastic, but we didn’t know for certain whether that plastic actually caused the turtles’ deaths,” CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere researcher Dr Chris Wilcox said.

Research showed that 14 pieces of plastic found in a turtle’s gut would result in a 50 per cent likelihood of death, yet just one fragment could affect its chance of survival.