Fanny Claire Capri

4. Materials and Methods A transparent plastic film fragment (sample ID 22146) was recovered on 21 August 2024 from the feces of a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) that had stranded near Ustica Island (Sicily, Italy; approximately 38.71° N, 13.19° E) and was undergoing rehabilitation at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri” (Palermo, Italy).

1 Introduction The salt ponds of Trapani, located along the western coast of Sicily, Italy, represent a unique and dynamic ecosystem characterised by varying salinity gradients and distinct environmental conditions. These salt ponds are integral to the traditional salt extraction system, which has been practiced for centuries. The system comprises a series of interconnected ponds where seawater is gradually concentrated through solar evaporation.