IMIS

The Marine Turtle Conservation Project is a project of the Marine Turtle Research Group and has been monitoring the nesting beaches of Northern Cyprus since 1992. The project is in collaboration with the Society for the Protection of Turtles in Northern Cyprus (SPoT) and the Department of Environmental Protection. In Northern Cyprus both green and loggerhead turtles nest. Green turtles in the Mediterranean are listed as endangered by the IUCN, with estimates suggesting that there are as few as 300-400 females nesting annually in this region. Loggerhead turtles nest in slightly greater numbers, with approximately 2000-3000 females nesting annually. Approximately 30 % of the green and 10% of the loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean nest in Northern Cyprus.