Hawksbill Turtles in the UAE: When Genetics Meets Conservation
We recently had the pleasure of hearing a lecture from Dr. Ada Natoli about how her study of the genetics of Hawksbill Turtles is contributing to conservation of the species in the UAE and the wider Gulf region. Dr. Natoli is a molecular biologist and professor at Zayed University, as well as the Founder and Director of the UAE Dolphin Project, a monitoring and education programme that has also received funding from the ENHG grants programme in the past. Her forensic genetics research is designed to glean specific knowledge about the population of Hawksbills in the Gulf, without which it is difficult to design effective programmes to protect them. Since all seven species of sea turtles world-wide are endangered, intelligent conservation is a must. All images from this Time Out Abu Dhabi story featuring ENHG Co-Chair Arabella Willing There are currently no population estimates for the Gulf region, despite nesting sites being present in Iran, KSA,