The Environment Society of Oman (ESO) has signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU); one with Oman Oil Company (OOC) and the other with Port of Duqm, for supporting the conservation of marine turtles on the Masirah Island.
The project aims to collect nesting data, build the capacity of the ESO's field assistants and educate the local community to make them aware of the important role of turtles in maintaining Oman's environment.
The ESO has been studying sea turtles on Masirah Island since 2008, and the new partnerships will allow them to continue the long-term monitoring programmes in order to understand their population trends.
In line with the OOC's corporate sustainability objectives, the project will empower communities to actively participate in preserving the environment.
Masirah Island is home to the world's largest population of nesting loggerhead turtles and also acts as a nesting ground for other species including green, olive ridley and hawksbill turtles.
All the four species of turtles in the island have been classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The ESO has tagged loggerhead turtles to monitor their migration and nesting patterns and participates in various collaborative global research projects to increase the understanding of turtles living in Oman's coastal waters.
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