A green turtle in the Al Qurm Wa Lehhfaiiah Protected Area. Image: Owen Exeter

For one group of young sea turtles , a protected wetland in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) proved a perfect oasis. A team tracking nine juvenile green turtles ( Chelonia mydas ) found they were spending over 80 percent of their time in the Al Qurm Wa Lehhfaiiah Protected Area , a human-made lagoon on the UAE’s Gulf of Oman coast. Large numbers of turtles are also found in this basin built beyond the salt-tolerant trees and shrubs along the coast. A study published today in the journal Aquatic Conservation details the findings.

In 2003, the basin was excavated as an extension of the Khor Kalba mangrove trees . The resulting Al Qurm Wa Lehhfaiiah Protected Area has been recognized as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention and as a Key Biodiversity Area since 2013.

“Our results show just how critical coastal wetlands can be to young green turtles,” Dr.…