NEWS & CONSERVATION

What a wonderful opportunity to enjoy this amazing animal

Five of the seven known species of sea turtle can be found in the waters off West Sumbawa. The animals perform important ecosystem services, such as regulating seagrass growth, but globally all seven species of sea turtle are listed as threatened, and some critically endangered. What's the Good News? More tourists are expected in West Sumbawa and this will rescue the need for locals to hunt for the eggs. Police watch the beaches day and night. MORE INFORMATION

A new study of the Mesoamerican Reef in the Caribbean found that marine protected areas (MPAs) are not only beneficial for conservation but can also lift up the socioeconomic status of the local and Indigenous communities that live near them.