This distinctive natural habitat with its shallow waters, seagrass beds and tall mangroves, set amid extensive coral reefs, hosts rare and globally endangered marine life.

Its significant coral community and the health of its habitats and species despite its high temperature and salinity levels make the island of keen scientific interest.

In 2018 a team of Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi and Emirates Nature - WWF marine scientists satellite tagged a number of Green Turtles at Bu Tinah.

In a first for science in the region three of the turtles - named Wisdom and Respect after the values of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and one called Yas Mall after a sponsor, were mapped swimming over 6000 km over the course of 7 months, travelling to Oman to nest, and back to Bu Tinah.

[5][6][7] The archipelago has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports breeding Socotra cormorants and wintering Siberian sand plovers.