Turtles of the Red Sea

Scientists currently recognize seven living species of sea turtles  worldwide, five of which can be found in the Red Sea: the green turtle ,  the hawksbill turtle, the leatherback turtle , the loggerhead turtle  and the olive-ridley turtle. but only three species are frequently observed in the Red Sea and they are:

• The Green Turtle

• The Loggerhead Turtle

• The Hawksbill Turtle

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All seven species of marine turtles are listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). 3 are classified as critically endangered by IUCN and a further 3 are classified as endangered.

Effective marine conservation for threatened species relies heavily on information about that species and its population. This includes abundance and distribution of individuals and life history. In the past, this information has been collected using a capture-mark-recapture technique.

Photo-identification allows us to identify each turtle individually, through photography and characterization of body parts. By identifying each individual, we can get to know their movement patterns, if they tend to return to the same area or if individuals are spotted in different locations, and thus help implement more effective conservation measures. By knowing where they go, we will know where to protect these globally endangered species.

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