Local Ocean Trust: Watamu Turtle Watch — Kenya (2011)

Local Ocean Trust: Watamu Turtle Watch (LOT-WTW) has been actively protecting Kenya’s sea turtles and nesting beaches since 1997, as well as collecting data that form the basis of an extensive database on Kenya’s sea turtles.

A 2011 SWOT grant helped LOT-WTW continue to advance its research program by supporting its efforts to study the effects of (mostly human made) changes to the coastline on nesting turtles, the behaviors and habitat use patterns of bycaught turtles in the Mida Creek area, and the potential causes of fibropapillomatosis. Support from SWOT also helped cover satellite tag-related costs as part of LOT-WTW’S studies on the behavioral effects of long-term sea turtle rehabilitation.