Gulf Turtle Tracking Project 2010 (aggregated per 1-degree cell)

Original provider: Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF Dataset credits: Data provider Emirates Wildlife Society WWF - Marine Research Foundation Originating data center Satellite Tracking and Analysis Tool (STAT) Project partner This project is implemented by the Emirates Wildlife Society and the Marine Research Foundation.

EWS (Emirates Wildlife Society) is a local environmental NGO working at a federal level to promote the conservation of nature in the UAE. To better achieve its goals, EWS has partnered with one of the world's largest and most experienced conservation organization, WWF. Within the UAE, EWS-WWF aims to protect and conserve the unique nature of the region by developing and implementing projects that actively deal with conservation and protection of nature. So far, projects have included the establishment of protected areas, protection of species and habitats and increasing environmental awareness through education programmes. EWS-WWF works with local government and non-governmental organisations including Dubai Municipality, the Environmental Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), EPDA in Ras Al Khaimah, EPAA in Sharjah and Fujairah Municipality.

The Marine Research Foundation, based in Sabah, Malaysia, was established to further the understanding of marine ecosystems and their associated diverse flora and fauna in Southeast Asia and other Indo-Pacific sites. The Foundation carries out a number of projects related to biodiversity assessment and conservation, and seeks to provide management-oriented solutions to Government administrations and conservationists. Based in Malaysia, MRF runs projects in numerous countries and has a key focus area in the Middle East, with current direct involvement in marine turtle projects in Qatar, UAE, and Oman, and past involvement in projects in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Yemen.

Regional project partners include:

Iran - Department of Environment

Oman - Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs and Environment Society of Oman

Qatar- Environmental Studies Center (Qatar University), Ministry of Environment and Ras Laffan Industrial City

United Arab Emirates- Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, Emirates Wildlife Society / WWF, Emirates Marine Environment Group Abstract: Marine turtle populations around the globe are threatened through over-harvesting and habitat loss. In the Gulf region, marine turtles have provided food at a subsistence level to fisherman and coastal dwellers since time immemorial. Evidence of this dates back five thousand years! Turtles have also been used traditionally for their fat and meat, and their eggs have fed families dependent on the bounty of the sea. But with increased coastal use and industrialization, and the advent of outboard motors and access to distant markets, the loss of turtles and their eggs has reached a level from which populations are struggling to recover. Turtle eggs, which used to be collected on an occasional, irregular basis, are now collected nearly every single time a nesting female emerges on the beach. Of even greater concern is the increased coastal development - industrialization and urbanization have resulted in severe habitat loss and alteration, and industrialised fisheries, which decimate turtles while at sea, continue to grow. Today, critical measures are urgently needed to safeguard the few remaining turtle nesting sites, their feeding and breeding sites at sea, and their migratory pathways.

The project links together numerous stakeholders, from Government agencies to NGOs to the private sector, and will combine scientific research and monitoring with environment awareness centered on marine turtle protection – and bring about regional change –positive change resulting in long-term conservation of marine turtles.
This project, using capacity building, awareness raising and satellite tracking and monitoring of marine turtles in the Gulf region as operational building blocks, aims to develop a marine turtle conservation action plan through the results of a three year project with the following objectives:

• Develop strategic partnerships amongst government agencies, NGOs and the private sector at both National and Regional levels;
• Raise the awareness of marine turtle conservation needs at National and Regional levels;
• Elucidate the post-nesting migrations and biology of marine turtles using satellite tracking;
• Identify foraging grounds of endangered marine turtles and linkages between nesting and feeding population assemblages;
• Share tracking data and findings to relevant authorities and contribute to the development of a regional marine turtle conservation plan;
• Integrate these conservation initiatives within international conservation agreements on marine turtles and national programmes.
Supplemental information: Visit STAT's project page for additional information. This dataset is a summarized representation of the telemetry locations aggregated per species per 1-degree cell.