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HEPCA at 32nd International Sea Turtle Symposium

In 1980 a group of marine turtle scientists, mostly from USA and Mexico, gathered for the first “Annual Workshop on Sea Turtle Conservation and Biology”. The main aim was to share data on highly migratory turtles in the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean and to find common strategies to better protect these animals, especially from anthropogenic threats. Thirty-two years later, the Annual Workshop on Sea Turtle Conservation and Biology now has become the “International Sea Turtle Symposium” and it unites 1,000 marine turtle conservationists, scientists, students from academic institutions and NGOs from all over the world. For the first time this year HEPCA will be part of this event presenting the data collected during the past year on marine turtle distribution and abundance in their feeding grounds of the Southern Egyptian Red Sea. We will also talk about the great efforts made by dive centers all along the Egyptian Red Sea coast to gather information on turtle sightings and the importance of the Red Sea for green and hawksbill nesting turtles. This event will be a great occasion to show the international scientific community the work HEPCA is doing to study and protect marine turtles in the area. It will also be a great opportunity to get precious feedback on the methodology being implemented in the field from worldwide experts and improve the results of our work. Furthermore it will be the perfect occasion to create links with other NGOs working in the same area, share information and work on a regional strategy to protect marine turtles in the Red Sea. We are very excited about the upcoming meeting and we hope to come back with a lot of positive news!