Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU)
The Sea Turtle Directory
Country: Malaysia
Organization / Project Name: Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU)
Website: https://seatru.umt.edu.my/
Email: turtle@umt.edu.my
Description: The Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU) was established in 1984 under the Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS) at the Universiti of Malaysia Terenagganu (UMT). SEATRU has since developed into a multi-disciplinary program aimed at studying all aspects of sea turtle biology and ecology, threats to their survival, and how conservation management initiatives can be established in order to restore threatened species back to stable population sizes. Since its inception in 1993, the sea turtle conservation project at Chagar Hutang Turtle Sanctuary has helped increased the level of egg protection and the subsequent release of hatchlings at Pulau Redang, and has become a crucial scientific study monitoring the status of endangered and threaten sea turtle species within Peninsular Malaysia.
Species of focus: Hawksbills (Eretmochelys imbricata), Green turtles (Chelonia mydas), Olive ridleys (Lepidochelys olivacea), Leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea)
Volunteer program: Yes
Tourist activities (Y/N): Yes
Primary Areas of Work: Nesting beach monitoring, Genetic sampling, Environmental education/community outreach, Toxin sampling, Satellite telemetry, In water research, Fisheries bycatch reduction / management, Policy, Beach protection
Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/seatruUMT
Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/seatru_umt/