Jannatul-Firdaus Alhussein
The coastal waters of Ghana serve as feeding and migratory habitats of five out of the seven sea turtle species. Leatherback, green, and olive ridley turtles nest on Ghana's beaches, while loggerhead and hawksbill turtles are occasionally spotted (Agyekumhene et al., 2020; Allman et al., 2015).
Olive ridley sea turtle nesting (Credit: WHRO Ghana)
Sea turtles in Ghana face threats such as by-catch, poaching, and pollution. This study will collaborate with fishing communities to reduce these threats to sea turtles through awareness, beach patrols, training of fishermen on safe sea turtle handling and release from bycatch. The project will also investigate microplastic concentrations in sea turtle tissue to inform conservation efforts. Findings will be published to discourage sea turtle meat consumption.