Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University — India (2012)

A 2012 SWOT grant was awarded to assess areas on the coast of the Gulf of Khambhat (Cambay) from Bhavnagar to Diu, India, a zone identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Marine Turtle Specialist Group as a critical data gap for sea turtles.

The major threats to coastal ecosystems in this part of Gujarat have been rapid industrialization and urbanization, plus coastal plantations, sand mining, and problems related to factory effluents and domestic sewage in nearshore waters. The Gulf of Khambhat is likely an important migratory pathway for green turtles and is believed to also serve as foraging habitat for greens and other species. This survey, led by Dr. I. R. Gadhvi, will provide important baseline information about these poorly known sea turtle populations.