When Emily Mirowski took in a tiny loggerhead turtle that had been washed up in Boca Raton, Florida, she knew it wasn’t healthy. It was lethargic, almost lifeless, with a drooping head – healthy turtles are normally so full of energy that they are hard to hold.

But she hoped it would live: its shell was immaculate and healthy looking, a beautiful orange brown, and the turtle was small enough to fit in the palm of the 29-year-old’s hand. It died soon after.

Mirowski was shocked when, in the process of determining the cause of death, she found 104 pieces of plastic inside it.

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