Flimsy plastic shopping bags typically end up “out of sight, out of mind” of most Florida consumers — but these throwaway sacks can easily end up tangled inside the guts of an unsuspecting sea turtle.

“The single-use plastic bag has an annoying habit of ending up in our marine environment. And once in the ocean, when they are suspended in the water column, they bear an uncanny resemblance to a jellyfish,” said Mike Daniels, chairman of the Surfrider Foundation’s Sebastian Inlet chapter.

“Loggerheads and leatherbacks eat jellyfish in big numbers. So once they’re in the marine environment, they are frequently ingested by turtles,” Daniel said.