Conserving marine turtles in the gulf

Turtles have existed on this planet for over 100 million years and are central to the marine ecosystem. They safeguard habitats and species, support fisheries and sustain tourism. But their numbers have reduced drastically. 

In partnership with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), we undertook two flagship marine conservation initiatives over 10 years to gather scientific information and improve our understanding of two enigmatic species native to the gulf – the Green Turtle and the Hawksbill Turtle.  

We satellite tagged 126 turtles, collected data around their migration routes, nesting sites, feeding grounds and behaviour; and developed a robust regional baseline of the ecological and conservational needs of turtles.

The results of this work have led to local conservation programmes to protect vulnerable nests from flooding. Our findings also support marine management agendas and decision-making to further protect these endangered species and critical habitats in the UAE.