University of the Sunshine Coast animal ecology lecturer Dr Kathy Townsend said there was more than one way a turtle could be killed by eating the rubbish.

“In one case, the gut was punctured, and in the other, the soft plastic clogged the gut.”

Death is certain for a sea turtle once 100 pieces are ingested, the study concluded, as balloons, lolly wrappers and single-use shopping bags were among the items found in one turtle’s stomach.

It is estimated more than half of the world’s sea turtles have eaten plastic, as a consequence pf about eight million metric tonnes ending up in the ocean roughly each year.

The study found that young turtles are exposed to plastic consumption more than the adults, as they are less picky in what they choose to ingest.

Understanding the consequences of plastic pollution in relation to a turtle’s life span could aid scientists in determining the effect on global sea turtle populations.

“The model we’ve developed can be adapted to help us understand the impact of plastic ingestion not just on individuals, but whole populations of other endangered marine species as well,” Dr Wilcox said.

Sea Turtle Foundation general manager Johanna Karam said the research could be used as a way of encouraging the government and the community to focus on the issue.

“It’s fantastic actually being able to quantify it because it’s something that we suspected.

“If anything I’d say we’d be underestimating the problem, but it’s great it’s showing that it’s a huge problem,” she said.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, almost all seven species of sea turtles are considered endangered.