TABUK: In a milestone for marine conservation, the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve has launched a live satellite-tracking program for hawksbill and green turtles, including the first known tagging of a pre-nesting, egg-carrying green turtle in the Red Sea.
This data will fill a critical regional knowledge gap and drive unified, cross-border conservation strategies for these globally endangered species, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
The team is led by the reserve’s senior marine ecologist Ahmed Mohammed and Hector Barrios-Garrido, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology’s Beacon Development’s senior marine megafauna specialist.
The two experts recently captured and tagged three critically endangered hawksbill turtles and seven green turtles, the SPA reported.
The tags transmit real-time movement data, identifying foraging grounds, migratory corridors, and, most crucially, the nesting site of the egg-carrying green turtle, ensuring proper protection and management.
