Abu Dhabi, Dec 10th, 2011 (WAM)--The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) has released a young Hawksbill turtle back into Abu Dhabi waters after successfully nursing her back to good health.

The turtle was in critical condition after it was discovered off the shores of Abu Dhabi a few weeks ago. The rehabilitation process was carried out at the Bu Tinah Experience dome on the Abu Dhabi Corniche, which featured a pool for injured and sick turtles rescued from UAE waters.

The baby Hawksbill, which EADs biodiversity experts estimate to be under one year old, arrived with its shell coated in algae and its body covered in barnacles ranging in size between 10-12mm, some of which were cutting into its neck and flippers. The barnacles attach themselves to the turtles hard outer shell and weigh them down making it hard for them to eat and breathe properly.

This baby turtle, which EAD named Amal (meaning hope, in Arabic) - weighed in at 200g, including the weight of the barnacles.

The EAD team kept Amal in a fresh water isolation tank, closely monitoring her around the clock and then treated her scratches with an iodine-based antiseptic. Amal soon began to eat voraciously, relying on a diet that included sardines and prawns, as she recovered and got stronger.

The turtles in the Bu Tinah Experience pool were part of a rehabilitation initiative which aimed to rescue injured animals and which are then released back into the areas they were found. Under the close watch of EAD biodiversity experts, Amal was carefully released off the beach behind the Bu Tinah Experience dome back into the wild. She swam away as experts looked on.

Thabit Zahran Al Abdessalaam, Director of Biodiversity Management Sector at EAD said: "Our marine environment is a treasured part of our heritage, our past, our present and our future. By studying, monitoring and protecting marine endangered species through initiatives such as the turtle rehabilitation pool, we are helping to preserve a key part of Abu Dhabis natural heritage for current and future generations.""Turtles and their habitats are key indicators of the health of our environment, which must be protected to ensure the sustainable development of our Emirate. I am delighted that our team of biodiversity experts helped ensure Amal's speedy recovery and release back to where she belongs," Thabit added.

"Sea turtles are among the most highly migratory animals on Earth and are great indicators for the condition of our marine environments. Of the seven species of marine turtles in the world, two occur in Abu Dhabis waters: the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the endangered Green turtle (Chelonia mydas). Worldwide, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List classifies the Hawksbill turtle as critically endangered." EAD regularly monitors the turtles nesting and foraging habitats which helps the Agency to provide vital information on clutch size, incubation period, hatching success and nesting patterns. EAD also investigates the species main causes of mortality in the region which have been identified as drowning in abandoned or illegal fishing nets, boat strikes, choking on floating plastic bags, loss of nesting sites, and the deterioration of coral reef systems which act as feeding sites for these turtles.

It collaborates with other organisations such as the Critical National Infrastructure Authority (CNIA), the Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC) and owners of private islands to enforce regulations under Federal Law No. 23 (1999) in order to protect turtle nesting and foraging habitats which fall under their jurisdiction.

In Abu Dhabi, most Hawksbill and Green turtles have been spotted in the waters between the islands of Abu Al Abyadh and Bu Tinah, as well as in the waters bordering the islands of Al Yasat and Muhayimat. These areas offer extensive seagrass beds, marine algae and coral reef habitats to the turtles. In Abu Dhabi, turtles nest on at least 17 offshore islands from mid-March to mid-June.

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2011.