Post-breeding dispersal of nesting marine turtles from the NEOM Islands, Saudi Arabia.

ABSTRACT: Marine turtles, such as green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), face numerous threats across their habitats. While they nest in the Red Sea, limited knowledge exists about their inter-nesting habitats and post-breeding movements. The NEOM Islands support ~ 95% of all documented nesting in the northeastern Red Sea, are crucial for turtle conservation. This study tracked 17 turtles (11 hawksbills, six greens) using platform terminal transmitters during two nesting seasons on Shusha and Walah Islands. We identified inter-nesting areas, migratory pathways, and foraging grounds, with displacements to foraging areas ranging from 34.8 to 501.7 km. Six feeding grounds were identified, four within Saudi Arabia and two in Egyptian waters. Hawksbills used broader inter-nesting

SUBMITTER: Barrios-Garrido H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12800070 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature