ZSI starts tagging olive ridleys to track migration path
Description
Context: The Zoological Survey of India has started tagging endangered olive ridleys to track their migration path in the off-shore waters of Odisha.
Rushikulya beach is one of the largest mass nesting sites for sea turtles
Lakhs of endangered turtles congregate for mass nesting along the Odisha coast including the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, the Rushikulya river mouth and the Devi river mouth annually.
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had last conducted a similar study in 2007-2010 to know the migration path.
The study was then carried out to know their movement in sea so that the area can be avoided for hydrocarbon exploration.
Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary
Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is a marine wildlife sanctuary located in Odisha and is a very popular tourist attraction of Odisha in India.
It is the world's largest nesting beach for Olive Ridley Turtles.
It extends from Dhamra River mouth in the north to Brahmani river mouth in the south.
It is very famous for its nesting beach for olive ridley sea turtles.
Bhitarkanika National Park
Bhitarkanika National Park is a large national park in Odisha in eastern India.
It was designated the status of a Ramsar site on 19 August 2002.
The national park and wildlife sanctuary is inundated by the rivers Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra, Pathsala.
It hosts many mangrove species, and is the second largest mangrove ecosystem in India.