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Status of Sea Turtles in Kuwait. MARINE CONSERVATION FORUM-EWS-WWF, 11-14 September’06. By Dr. Salim Al-Mohanna & Dr. Preeta George. Status of Sea Turtles in the Gulf Past and Present. GREEN TURTLE. Different generations of green turtles. HAWKSBILL TURTLE. Top:
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Status of Sea Turtles in Kuwait MARINE CONSERVATION FORUM-EWS-WWF, 11-14 September’06 By Dr. Salim Al-Mohanna & Dr. Preeta George
GREEN TURTLE Different generations of green turtles
HAWKSBILL TURTLE Top: Two adult hawksbill turtles, one under the coral reef and the other near the water surface Bottom: Juvenile Hawksbill turtle
LOGGERHEAD TURTLE Right (Top & bottom): Adult female trapped in Hadhra at south of Kuwait was rescued and released back into sea Adult female sighted swimming near surface in the southern part of Kuwait
LEATHERBACK 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
GREEN TURTLE NESTING 1 2 1 Just Emerged from sea 2 Nesting 3 Post nesting 3
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
EMERGENCE OF HATCHLINGS Hawksbill Hatchling Track Green Sheikha Amthal and Dr. Salim Al-Mohanna watch as the hatchlings emerge
NATURAL THREATS A ghost crab seen feasting on a turtle hatchling Sea birds gathered along the shore in wait for a prey
ANTHROPOGENIC THREATS Natural nesting site of Umm Al-Maradim before construction Nesting site of Umm Al-Maradim as construction work is in progress
DESTRUCTION OF NESTING SITES 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
OIL POLLUTION VICTIMS Leatherback Turtle Green Turtle
GUN FIRE VICTIMS Teens gun shot Iraqi warfare
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 PHYLOGENY Agarose gel image shows PCR amplified product