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Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Launches Live Turtle Tracking Program

This data will fill a critical regional knowledge gap and drive unified, cross-border conservation strategies for these globally endangered species - SPA
This data will fill a critical regional knowledge gap and drive unified, cross-border conservation strategies for these globally endangered species - SPA
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Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Launches Live Turtle Tracking Program

This data will fill a critical regional knowledge gap and drive unified, cross-border conservation strategies for these globally endangered species - SPA
This data will fill a critical regional knowledge gap and drive unified, cross-border conservation strategies for these globally endangered species - SPA

In a milestone for marine conservation, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve has launched a live satellite tracking program for hawksbill and green turtles, including the first known tagging of a pre-nesting, egg-carrying green turtle in the Red Sea, SPA reported.

This data will fill a critical regional knowledge gap and drive unified, cross-border conservation strategies for these globally endangered species.

The team, led by Senior Marine Ecologist at Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Dr. Ahmed Mohammed and KAUST Beacon Development’s Senior Marine Megafauna Specialist Dr. Hector Barrios-Garrido, successfully in-water captured and tagged three critically endangered (IUCN) hawksbill turtles and seven green turtles. The tags transmit real-time movement data identifying foraging grounds, migratory corridors, and most crucially the nesting site of the egg-carrying green turtle, ensuring the appropriate protection and management is in place. The program continues the reserve’s long-term commitment to marine conservation, expanding its turtle nest monitoring and protection program in operation since 2023.

The reserve protects 4,000km² of Red Sea waters, 1.8% of the Kingdom’s marine area, and a coastline of 170km, the longest coastline under management by a single entity in the Kingdom. Linking NEOM and Red Sea Global, this forms an 800km corridor of protected Red Sea coastline. It is a refuge for five of the world’s seven turtle species and a breeding ground for green and hawksbill turtles. The reserve’s ranger teams monitor turtle activity both on shore and at sea, protecting nesting sites critical to natal homing, the biological instinct that drives turtles to return to the same beaches where they were born.

‘’Critically endangered hawksbill turtles face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild within our lifetime. With fewer than 200 breeding-age females remaining in the Red Sea, their survival depends on closing vital knowledge gaps to enable their effective conservation,” said CEO of Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Andrew Zaloumis.

He added, “Hawksbill turtles hatching on the reserve’s protected beaches range across 438,000 km² of open sea bordered by eight MENA countries, before returning some three decades later to the same sandy beach to lay their eggs. Our satellite tagging and tracking program is a game-changer, providing the real-time data needed to identify their critical staging, foraging, and rookery areas across the Red Sea. The data will support national and regional conservation efforts to drive forward a much-needed unified ecosystem-wide turtle conservation management plan.’’

The reserve’s ongoing turtle conservation supports Saudi Arabia’s commitments under the UNEP Convention on Migratory Species and the IOSEA Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding by strengthening habitat protection and regional cooperation through scientific knowledge-sharing across the Red Sea.

Senior Marine Ecologist at the reserve Dr. Ahmed Mohammed stated, ‘’These state-of-the-art, lightweight tags are designed to operate for at least 12 months, providing continuous data that will enable detailed analysis of seasonal patterns, developmental habitats, and contribute valuable insights to regional and global sea turtle research. Additionally, depth sensors will reveal sea grass meadows, essential foraging grounds for green turtles and critical blue carbon sinks."

Despite the recent global reclassification of green turtles by the IUCN, regionally, they are still regarded as vulnerable and conservation dependent. All five marine turtle species resident in the Red Sea are listed under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), to which Saudi Arabia became a party in 1979. Turtles remain at risk from entanglement in fishing nets, habitat degradation, and illegal poaching. While these threats are absent within the reserve’s protected waters, ecosystem-wide management strategies that span political boundaries are necessary and the reserve continues to share data with the wider conservation and scientific community and partner with SHAMS on local and regional conservation strategies.

One of eight Royal Reserves, the 24,500 km² Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve stretches from the lava plains of the Harrats to the deep Red Sea in the west, connecting NEOM, Red Sea Global, and AlUla. It is home to the Public Investment Fund's (PIF) Wadi Al Disah project and Red Sea Global’s Destination AMAALA.

The reserve encompasses 15 distinct ecosystems. At just 1% of the Kingdom’s terrestrial area and 1.8% of its marine area, it boasts over 50% of the Kingdom’s species, making it one of the most biodiverse protected areas in the Middle East.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve is one of eight royal reserves established by royal decree and overseen by the Royal Reserves Council chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The reserve’s program is integrated with Saudi Arabia’s wider sustainability and conservation programs, including the Saudi Green and Middle East Green Initiatives.

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The Threat of Light Pollution Puts World’s Darkest Skies in the Atacama Desert at Risk

Astronomers are silhouetted against the sunset sky at Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert, Chile, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
Astronomers are silhouetted against the sunset sky at Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert, Chile, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
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The Threat of Light Pollution Puts World’s Darkest Skies in the Atacama Desert at Risk

Astronomers are silhouetted against the sunset sky at Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert, Chile, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
Astronomers are silhouetted against the sunset sky at Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert, Chile, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

It takes a moment for the eyes to adjust. A faint spark appears in the darkness; then another, brighter one. Soon, stars, planets and entire constellations emerge. Before long, a whole galaxy stretches across the sky, visible to the naked eye.

In Chile’s Atacama Desert, the night sky feels infinite. Considered the driest place on Earth, its darkness is also one of the clearest windows to the universe.

A rare combination of dry climate, high altitude and, crucially, isolation from urban light pollution, makes the Atacama an unrivaled hub for world-class astronomy and home to the world’s largest ground-based astronomical projects.

“The conditions in the Atacama Desert are unique in the world,” said Chiara Mazzucchelli, president of the Chilean Astronomical Society. “There are more than 300 clear nights per year, meaning no clouds and no rain.”

But the world's darkest skies may be at risk.

Last year, the desert became a battleground between scientists and an energy firm proposing a green power complex just kilometers (miles) from the Paranal Observatory. Managed by the European Southern Observatory, ESO, the site also is the future home to what is to be the most powerful optical telescope ever built.

Although the energy project was canceled in January following a massive appeal from astronomers, physicists and Nobel laureates, it exposed deep concerns that existing sky preservation laws are lax, outdated and unclear. Since then, several environmental regulations have come under review, including one from Chile's science ministry targeting protected astronomical zones.

“We are working to ensure the new criteria are strict enough to guarantee that there will be no impact on astronomical areas,” said Daniela González, director of the Cielos de Chile Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2019 to protect the quality of Chile’s night skies.

The best skies The Associated Press spent three days visiting the Paranal facilities in the heart of the so-called Photon Valley. In this high-altitude corridor, several observatories operate side by side using some of the most sophisticated instruments ever engineered.

“Many of these large facilities are located in Chile, and ESO's telescopes in particular are the most powerful astronomical facilities on the planet,” said Itziar de Gregorio-Monsalvo, the intergovernmental organization’s representative in Chile.

Paranal is one of nearly 30 astronomical sites in northern Chile, most of which are managed by international organizations. Every year, the Atacama Desert draws thousands of astronomers and scientists from around the world to investigate the origins of the universe.

"We are lucky to be here,” said Julia Bodensteiner, an assistant professor at University of Amsterdam, noting that the chances of being selected as a visiting astronomer at Paranal are just 20% to 30%.

Walking across the Atacama's rocky, uneven terrain is no easy task. At altitudes exceeding 3,000 meters (10,000 feet), oxygen becomes a luxury, while scorching days give way to relentlessly cold nights. But for space observation and exploration, these more than 105000 square kilometers (40,500 square miles) of desert are the perfect setting.

The exceptional conditions of the Atacama have enabled some of the most ambitious astronomical projects ever conceived, like the Extremely Large Telescope, ELT — a $1.5 billion endeavor by ESO scheduled for completion in 2030.

With 798 mirrors and a light-gathering area of nearly 1000 square meters (a quarter of an acre) , the ELT will be 20 times more powerful than today’s leading telescopes and 15 times sharper than NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

All the data compiled at these observatories play a fundamental role not only for life on Earth, but also for the possibilities of its development beyond our planet. Preserving these research spots is essential.

With the ELT, said ESO astronomer Lucas Bordone, “we should be able to see Earth-like planets in what we call the habitable zone, so basically the planets which are candidates towards life.”

Darkness under threat Twenty years ago, the Atacama Desert was "an ocean of darkness,” recalled Eduardo Unda-Sanzana, director of the Astronomy Center at the University of Antofagasta. “It was just you and the universe.”

Over the years, however, the landscape has changed drastically.

Driven by urban sprawl, industrial development, and the arrival of mining and wind farms, the desert has become a coveted territory where balance is not always easy to reach.

In Paranal, specialists live like moles in an underground residence designed to keep their presence almost undetectable. Windows must remain covered, hallways stay dark, and any outside movement is guided only by flashlight. Even the faintest light can interfere with the telescopes.

The announcement last year of an imminent green energy project sent shockwaves through the international scientific community. Experts pressured authorities to protect Chile’s night sky from the proposed site, which was slated for construction just 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Paranal.

The case raised the alarms due to its impacts, such as increased light pollution, micro-vibrations and dust, as well as greater atmospheric turbulence. These conditions would make astronomical activities unviable.

“If you place the ELT next to a city, it doesn’t matter that its diameter is 40 meters long. It’s just the same as having a tiny telescope,” Gregorio-Monsalvo said.

Although the company canceled the project in late January, scientists warn that without new, updated regulations, similar projects could be proposed at any moment.

“Despite all the media hype in 2025, we find ourselves exactly where we were last year,” said Unda-Sanzana, who is also part of a ministerial advisory commission that recently delivered recommendations to Chile’s government following the incident.

There is no shortage of precedents. The first international heliophysics observatory in Chile — a major solar station operated by the US Smithsonian Institution in the early 20th century — was forced to shut down operations in 1955 due to environmental pollution caused by the expansion of mining activity in the area.

“We’ve had 70 years to learn from history and avoid repeating those same mistakes,” Unda-Sanzana said.

Varieties

Hundreds of Firefighters Battle Japan Forest Blazes

Japanese Self-Defense Forces helicopter drops water during firefighting operations, as wildfires continue in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, April 25, 2026. (Reuters)
Japanese Self-Defense Forces helicopter drops water during firefighting operations, as wildfires continue in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, April 25, 2026. (Reuters)
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Hundreds of Firefighters Battle Japan Forest Blazes

Japanese Self-Defense Forces helicopter drops water during firefighting operations, as wildfires continue in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, April 25, 2026. (Reuters)
Japanese Self-Defense Forces helicopter drops water during firefighting operations, as wildfires continue in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, April 25, 2026. (Reuters)

Hundreds of firefighters were battling wildfires in the forests of northern Japan on Saturday, as authorities urged more than 3,200 people to evacuate from their homes, government officials said.

As of Saturday morning, blazes in the mountainous areas of Iwate region had burned about 700 hectares (1,730 acres) since breaking out three days ago, local government officials said in a statement.

A large column of smoke, which could be smelled 30 kilometers (20 miles) away, was seen rising up the valley near the town of Otsuchi as two helicopters dropped water on the burning forest.

In Otsuchi, fire engines were spraying the forest near homes close to the fire.

About a dozen helicopters and more than 1,300 firefighters as well as Japan Self-Defense Forces troops would be mobilized on Saturday to battle the fires, the statement said.

At least eight buildings had been burnt but all the residents had evacuated, it said.

"We're making efforts to extinguish (the fires) ... and will update the information" later in the day, an Iwate official told AFP.

"Ultimately, I do hope it'll rain," a man in Otsuchi told public broadcaster NHK.

Increasingly dry winters have raised the risk of wildfires. A blaze that broke out in the Iwate city of Ofunato early last year was Japan's worst in more than half a century.

Scientists have long warned that climate change caused by mankind's burning of fossil fuels will make periods of drought more intense and longer-lasting, creating the ideal conditions for wildfires.

Varieties

Australia and New Zealand Gather in Türkiye to Commemorate WWI Battle

New Zealand soldiers march during the international service in recognition of the Gallipoli campaign at Mehmetcik monument, a day before ANZAC Day, in the Gallipoli peninsula near Canakkale, Türkiye, Friday, April 24, 2026. (Sercan Ozkurnazli/Dia Photo via AP)
New Zealand soldiers march during the international service in recognition of the Gallipoli campaign at Mehmetcik monument, a day before ANZAC Day, in the Gallipoli peninsula near Canakkale, Türkiye, Friday, April 24, 2026. (Sercan Ozkurnazli/Dia Photo via AP)
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Australia and New Zealand Gather in Türkiye to Commemorate WWI Battle

New Zealand soldiers march during the international service in recognition of the Gallipoli campaign at Mehmetcik monument, a day before ANZAC Day, in the Gallipoli peninsula near Canakkale, Türkiye, Friday, April 24, 2026. (Sercan Ozkurnazli/Dia Photo via AP)
New Zealand soldiers march during the international service in recognition of the Gallipoli campaign at Mehmetcik monument, a day before ANZAC Day, in the Gallipoli peninsula near Canakkale, Türkiye, Friday, April 24, 2026. (Sercan Ozkurnazli/Dia Photo via AP)

Officials and visitors from Australia, New Zealand and Turkey gathered in northwest Türkiye on Saturday to commemorate the 111th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli.

The solemn ceremony began at 5:30 a.m. local time near a beach where the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, or Anzacs, first landed at Gallipoli at dawn on April 25, 1915.

The hour-long event included mournful hymns, prayers and the laying of wreaths by the participants, which included representatives from many countries around the world.

The Gallipoli campaign, part of a British-led effort to defeat the Ottoman Empire, ultimately failed, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides during the eight-month conflict. It aimed to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean Sea to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and knock the Ottomans out of the war.

The battle helped forge Australia and New Zealand’s national identities, as well as friendship with their former adversary, Türkiye.

“From great suffering, understanding can grow. From former enemies, friendships can blossom. The relationship between Türkiye, Australia and New Zealand is built on remembrance, respect and recognition of our shared humanity,” said Governor-General of New Zealand Dame Cindy Kiro during the opening address.

Turkish Col. Fatih Cansiz read from the tribute Türkiye’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk made in 1934 for the fallen: “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side in this country of ours.”

Ataturk first rose to prominence as commander of the Turkish forces at Gallipoli, then went on to lead Türkiye’s War of Independence and ultimately found the Turkish Republic.