The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean halfway between Tanzania and Indonesia, and directly south of the Maldives. The territory comprises the seven atolls of the Chagos Archipelago with over 1,000 individual islands – many of which are very small.

The BIOT plays a crucial role as a foraging ground for immature sea turtles that feed in the shallow lagoons. Ongoing conservation work has shown that the sea turtles remain in these environments for many years before they travel back to their natal nesting areas to breed as adults.