Curator
human, present
Early-Anthropocene

Turtle Trap

Orford Ness, Suffolk

early 21st century

Recent research concludes that turtle traps such as this were deliberately released to be carried by winds into the sea. These gas-filled vessels would float on the water’s surface, and through mimicking the movement of jellyfish entrap turtles in considerable numbers. Plastic remnants found in the fossilised remains of turtles indicate that this was a significant factor in their demise and subsequent extinction in most regions. 

On loan from Fran Crowe / The Museum of Beyond.