KUALA NERUS: A green turtle carcass has been found floating off Pantai Dalam, Pulau Redang here on Friday (June 20).
The 10-year-old female green turtle was discovered by a team of researchers from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT).
UMT researcher Associate Professor Dr Mohd Uzair Rusli said the turtle is believed to have died about three days ago and its carapace was found shattered, likely due to the strong storm on Thursday (June 19) night.
The team were en route to the Chagar Hutang Turtle Research Station on Pulau Redang for a turtle conservation awareness programme.
"The discovery was made at around 12.30pm while our group was on its way to conduct a public awareness campaign on the importance of conserving endangered turtle species and the overall sustainability of the marine ecosystem.
"This finding highlights the urgent need to step up monitoring efforts and habitat protection for turtles, especially in tourist waters such as those around Pulau Redang,” Mohd Uzair said in a statement.
He added that the carcass has been taken to UMT’s laboratory for analysis to determine the cause of death. — Bernama