ZSI starts tagging olive ridleys to track migration path

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.

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