Ingestion of anthropogenic debris represents an important threat to marine turtle populations. Information
has been limited to inventories of debris ingested and its consequences, but why ingestion occurs
and the conditions that enable it are less understood. Here we report on the occurrence of plastic ingestion
in young green turtles (Chelonia mydas) inhabiting the Río de la Plata (SW Atlantic). This estuarine
area is characterized by a frontal system that accumulates anthropogenic debris. We explored exposure
of green turtles to plastic and its ingestion via debris distribution, habitat use and digestive tract examination.
Results indicated that there is considerable overlap of frontal accumulated plastic and core foraging
areas of the animals. Exposure results in ingestion, as shown by the high frequency of plastic found
in the digestive tracts. The Río de la Plata estuarine front is an area of conservation concern for young
green turtles.