Corporate initiative to explore migratory behavior of Olive turtles off Odisha coast

The Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Ports and SEZ Limited and Adani Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of the Adani Group, has decided to conduct a study on spatial use, near-shore Movements, and migratory behavior of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles off the Odisha Coast.

The findings of the study will be instrumental in developing effective management strategies to mitigate the effects of erosion on the critical nesting habitats of the Olive Ridley turtles.

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It is pertinent to note here that Odisha’s Gahirmatha beach off the Bay of Bengal coast is widely regarded as the World’s largest known nesting ground of these delicate aquatic animals. Apart from Gahirmatha, these threatened aquatic animals turn up at the Rushikulya river mouth and the Devi river mouth for mass nesting. The study will be a Public-Private Partnership Scheme with the Society of Wildlife Odisha of Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (wildlife) and the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun (WII), said Adani Foundation officials on Tuesday.

The main purpose is to focus on solving some of the challenges faced in critical areas for the conservation of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in India, primarily due to its hosting the largest nesting congregation of this species.

This coastline is notable for containing three major mass nesting sites: Gahirmatha, Devi, and Rushikulya. Among these, the Gahirmatha rookery is recognized as the largest sea turtle rookery globally, underscoring its vital role in the conservation of Olive Ridley turtles at an international level. Over the past three decades, the Gahirmatha mass nesting beach has experienced substantial alterations due to cyclones and coastal erosion, leading to changes in the nesting patterns of Olive Ridley turtles.

The principal focus will be to solve some of the challenges faced in critical areas for the conservation of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in Gahirmatha, Odisha, India. This collaboration will foster research and a recently updated study on critical areas for the conservation of the Olive Ridley Turtle.

A comprehensive study is the need of the hour to investigate the changes in coastal geomorphology along the Gahirmatha coast in Odisha, added the Adani Foundation officials.