Saudi Arabian Special Forces make arrests for disturbing Turtle nests in the Umluj area of the Red Sea coast.

The Saudi Arabian Special Forces for Environmental Security have made several arrests for disturbing Turtle nests in the Umluj Governate of the Tabuk Region, on the northern part of the country's Red Sea coast, after video clips of men 'abusing' Turtles appeared on social media. The islands of the Umlaj area are considered to be an internationally important breeding area for several species of Turtle, and the 'possession, disturbance, mutilation, destruction, selling, transference, molestation and harassment of marine turtles, nests or eggs' is prohibited under Saudi law.

The approximate location of the Umluj Governate. Google Maps.

Four species of Turtle are known to nest in the 102 islands of the Umluj Governate, the Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas, the Hawksbill Turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, the Loggerhead Turtle, Caretta caretta, and the Olive Ridley Turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea.

The Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas, is found throughout the tropics, but are considered to be Endangered under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, due both to loss of breeding grounds and vulnerability to a wide range of fishing techniques. The species favours flat, sandy beaches on warm coasts as a nesting site, which is also the environment favoured by the tourist industry for new developments, creating a direct conflict between the industry and efforts to conserve the species, making nesting sites in areas without extensive tourist developments particularly vulnerable. These Turtles are also highly vulnerable to the fishing industry, easily becoming entangled in nets, where they typically drown rapidly, as well as often taking bait on long lines, which also typically leads to rapid drowning.

 

A Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas, on Kona Reef in Hawai'i. The Broken In A Glory/Wikimedia Commons.

The Hawksbill Turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, is considered to be Critically Endangered under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. This species is found throughout tropical, subtropical and warm temperate seas, and like the Green Turtle is vulnerable to the loss of breeding grounds and entrapment by fishing gear. This species is also more prone to deliberate hunting, for meat and its shells, which are used to make a range of decorative items, than Green Turtles (though that species is not immune from either problem). Importantly, the Hawksbill Turtle has a much slower reproduction cycle than the Green Turtle, with individuals typically not reproducing until they are in their thirties, which makes them far more vulnerable to Human pressures, as individuals must survive for longer before breeding. There are thought to be only about 8000 female Hawksbill Turtles of breeding age surviving globally.

A Hawksbill Turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, in the Maldives. Olive Ridley Project.

The Loggerhead Turtle, Caretta caretta, are considered to be Vulnerable under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, as they are at risk from the same pressures as other Turtles, and have suffered some population declines, but are not immediately at risk. This is largely due to their more rapid breeding cycle, with females able to produce 3-6 clutches of eggs per year. There are currently 36 000-67 000 breeding female Loggerhead Turtles at 135 known breeding sites globally.

A Loggerhead Turtle, Caretta caretta. WWF.

The Olive Ridley Turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea, are again considered to be Vulnerable under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. They are found throughout the tropics, and are vulnerable to the same pressures as other Turtles, but while they are known to have suffered population declines, are still present in very large numbers in some areas, with up to half a million Olive Ridley Turtles breeding on the coast of the Indian state of Odisha alone each year. This is again due to a high reproductive rate, with females laying clutches containing an average of 105 eggs, around 50% of which can reach breeding age, less than a decade later.

Olive Ridley Turtles, Lepidochelys olivacea, on a beach in Odisha State, India. New Indian Express.

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Iranian oil tanker leaking oil into the Red Sea after being hit by two missiles.

An Iranian oil tanker is leaking oil into the Red Sea after being hit by two missiles on at about 5.00 am local time on Friday 11 October 2019. The National Iranian Tanker Company owned Sabiti was reportedly about 100 km off the coast of the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah at the time of the incident, although the tanker had turned off its tracking equipment since August, something routinely done by Iranian tankers to prevent them from being tracked by the US, which has imposed economic sanctions on Iran. The authorities in Iran have blamed the attack on 'terrorists' but not directly accused any political organisation or nation of being behind the attack. Nobody was hurt in the incident, and the crew were initially able to halt the loss of oil from the tanker, but the vessel began leaking again once it started to move.

Oil leaking from the Iranian tanker Sabiti into the Red Sea. IRIB TV/AFP.

This incident is the latest in a series of attacks on Iranian tankers this summer, part of a deteriorating diplomatic situation between Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. The United States has accused Iran of attacking oil tankers and shooting down one of its military drones, while Saudi Arabia blames Iran for an attack on the Saudi Aramco Oil Refinery in September, which Iran denies. Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been poor for decades, but have deteriorated in recent years as the countries have backed different sides in the conflicts in Yemen and Syria. The US has accused tankers such as the Sabiti of smuggling oil to Syria, where Iran is a key ally of the government of President Bashar al-Assad, although Iran also exports oil to Russia (also an ally of the government of President Bashar al-Assad) and the EU through the Red Sea.

Oil spills are potentially harmful to marine life in a variety of ways. Most obviously it can coat the outside of organisms, causing damage to external structures such as the feathers of Birds and fur of Mammals, as well as smothering many marine invertebrates and plants. It also contains a variety of chemicals which can be directly toxic upset the hormonal balance of many animals. Oil also impedes the feeding of marine organisms, coating both food and feeding organs, but provides an excellent food source for Bacteria, which can lead to Eutrophication events - dramatic increases in Bacteria numbers, which then use all the oxygen in the water, leading other organisms to asphyxiate.

The Red Sea is considered to be a biodiversity hotspot, having a unique fauna with many endemic species (species not found elsewhere). This has been able to develop due to the Red Sea's relative isolation, being connected to the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean by the shallow Strait of Bab al-Mandab, which is prone to variations in temperature and salinity that present a barrier to many marine organisms. The Red Sea has a unique deep-sea environment, where the waters remain constantly at about 22°C and have a salinity of about 40‰ (compared to about 35‰ for most seawater). This has led to the development of a vast reef system with many organisms unlike anything found anywhere else. Unfortunately, high shipping levels since the opening of the Suez Canal have led to many problems for this ecosystem, both from pollution and alien organisms carried on the sides and in the ballast tanks of ships, and decades of political instability and conflict in the nations around the Red Sea have meant that much of the area is poorly studied or protected.

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