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Archive -Seychelles

Marine monitoring surveys underway at Aldabra |24 January 2015

The Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) marine monitoring programme has got underway with Scuba-based surveys on the east coast of the Aldabra atoll.

SIF’s marine monitoring programme, which started in 2013 as part of its UNDP-GOS-GEF protected areas project, continued under the Outer Islands Project. The programme includes two main survey methodologies: Scuba-based surveys and Remote Underwater Video Camera systems (RUVs).

The Scuba-based monitoring records sea temperature, substrate cover and fish diversity, abundance and size, at 12 fixed sites around the atoll. Each site has two transects at 15m and 5m depth. The data collected enable SIF to determine how these variables change over time and whether they are linked to changes in water temperature.

After the team’s preparation for the marine monitoring, they got off to a flying start and completed 9 of the 12 permanent transects in November. The sites near the research station on Picard were surveyed first, and the team then set off for the annual marine monitoring expedition to the east of Aldabra. Eight SIF staff set up camp at Middle Camp hut on Malabar Island, taking plenty of food, water, dive equipment and even a dive compressor! Camps at the more remote locations on Aldabra require extra preparation and precaution to ensure the safety of the divers at all times.

The diversity at the dive sites on the eastern side of the atoll, such as Passe Houareau, is incredible. Steep slopes and spur and groove formations harbour a wealth of marine life including sharks, big groupers, turtles and stingrays. The divers were all overwhelmed by this astounding marine environment and felt very privileged to be working in such a unique place.

It was a highly successful expedition, and this has set the tone for the remaining surveys.

SIF will be continuing its RUVs surveys before completing the Scuba surveys in the south of the atoll.

 

 

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