Results of UAE turtle tracking project revealed
Research by Emirates Nature-WWF and partners shows turtles belong to no single nation
Abu Dhabi: Marking the occasion of World Turtle Day, Emirates Nature-WWF and its partners Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the Marine Research Foundation (MRF) revealed the results of their ongoing research on the Gulf Green Turtle Conservation Project.
The findings are said to be a first of a kind in the Arabian Sea region, and one of only a handful of similar efforts worldwide.
In collaboration with EAD, Emirates Nature-WWF has successfully tagged a total of 36 turtles using satellite transmitters. Recently, three of these were tracked from their feeding grounds off Bu Tinah Island in Abu Dhabi, to Oman where they mated, nested, and found their way back home to Bu Tinah Island.
Researches said the project’s findings prove turtles belong to no single nation, underscoring that all nations have a shared responsibility to protect turtles and manage the seas in which they inhabit.
Jimena Rodriguez, manager of the Gulf Green Turtle Conservation Project at Emirates Nature-WWF, said “by recording a complete migration loop, we were able to better understand green turtles ecological and conservation needs, and the importance of the UAE as being a critical feeding site. By protecting turtles, we can contribute to greater conservation wins and marine stability in the UAE and region”.