Status of Sea Turtles Status of Sea Turtles in Kuwaitin Kuwait

ByBy Dr. Salim Al-MohannaDr. Salim Al-Mohanna

&&Dr. Preeta GeorgeDr. Preeta George

MARINE CONSERVATION FORUM-EWS-WWF, 11-14 September’06

Status of Sea Turtles in the GulfStatus of Sea Turtles in the Gulf

Past and PresentPast and Present

GREEN TURTLEGREEN TURTLE

Different generations of green turtles

HAWKSBILL TURTLEHAWKSBILL TURTLE

Top:

Two adult hawksbill turtles, one under the coral reef and the other near the water surface

Bottom:

Juvenile Hawksbill turtle

LOGGERHEAD TURTLELOGGERHEAD TURTLE

Adult female sighted swimming near surface in the southern part

of Kuwait

Right (Top & bottom): Adult female trapped in Hadhra at south of Kuwait was rescued and released back into

sea

LEATHERBACK TURTLELEATHERBACK TURTLE

Adult female was caught by gill net. Prof. Meakins and a member of the Diving Team

are seen carrying out morphological measurements

TURTLE NESTING SITES

Umm Al-Maradim Island

Qaruh Island

Mainland shore

1

3

2

1 Just Emerged from sea

2 Nesting

3 Post nesting

GREEN TURTLE NESTING

HAWKSBILL HAWKSBILL TURTLE TURTLE

NESTINGNESTING

EGG LAYING

NEST SIZE AND SHAPE DIFFERENCES

BETWEEN GREEN AND HAWKSBILL TURTLE

Green Turtle Nest

Hawksbill Turtle Nest

DIFFERENCE IN EGG SIZE OF GREEN

AND HAWKSBILL

TURTLE

HATCHING OF GREEN AND HAWKSBILL EGGS

TURTLE TRACK

GREEN TURTLE TRACK WITH TAIL SCORING IN THE MIDDLE

HAWKSBILL TRACK WITHOUT TAIL SCORING

Sheikha Amthal and Dr. Salim Al-Mohanna watch as the hatchlings

emerge

Hatchling Track

EMERGENCE OF HATCHLINGS

Hawksbill

Green

A ghost crab seen feasting on a turtle hatchling

Sea birds gathered along the shore in wait for a prey

NATURAL THREATS

Natural nesting site of Umm Al-Maradim before construction

Nesting site of Umm Al-Maradim as construction work is in progress

ANTHROPOGENIC THREATS

Above: Pebbles and cement left behind after construction finished, depriving the turtles to find suitable

nesting ground

Right: Modification of sandy shore leads to loss of nesting ground

DESTRUCTION OF NESTING SITES

THREAT FROM FISHING GEARS

OIL POLLUTION VICTIMS

Leatherback Turtle

Green Turtle

GUN FIRE VICTIMS

Teens gun shot

Iraqi warfare

Rescue operation in progress

Turtles are tagged before being released

Heading toward their natural home

Volunteers pose for a photograph just before the release of 4 turtles

Volunteers from Kuwait Diving Team seen to assist in measuring the nest size

Members of task team of the on-going project engaged in measuring a turtle track on one of the island of Kuwait

MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PHYLOGENYMITOCHONDRIAL DNA PHYLOGENY

Agarose gel image shows PCR amplified product

THANK YOU FOR CARING