ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY OF OMAN

Marine Turtles Research & Conservation

The global importance of Oman to the survival of sea turtles has been definitively established through surveys and research conducted within the Sultanate since the 1970s. Since 2008, ESO, in collaboration with the Environment Authority (EA) and senior international scientists, has played a lead research role, accelerating our knowledge and understanding of turtle biology, ecology and conservation needs and raising the international profile of Oman’s turtles. Masirah Island is the second largest nesting rookery for loggerhead turtles in the world. Research evidences that this population has suffered a 79% decline since the late 1970s. The major threats that impact both habitat and population numbers are land-use disturbances, such as extensive coastal development, light pollution, and beach driving; and sea-based disturbances such as turtles being caught in fishing nets by mistake (bycatch). This assessment was published in a peer-reviewed journal in August 2020.