The Save Our Seas Foundation, a foundation dedicated to protecting life in the world’s oceans, has centers in Seychelles, South Africa and the United States.
Based on the island of Arros, the center in Seychelles conducts our research, monitoring, restoration and education activities aimed at preserving and enhancing the ecological integrity of the island and that of the atoll. St Joseph.
In this week’s Seychelles Buzz, SNA examines five projects led by the Save Our Seas Foundation and target species.
Coral monitoring survey
Coral reefs, which are a huge food resource and attract tourism, form the basis of some of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world. However, due to coral bleaching, livelihoods are threatened.
The Save Our Seas Foundation is conducting long-term research to uncover patterns of coral reef health and disturbance regimes to assess trends in coral reef health on Arros Island and St Atoll. Joseph.
The main objectives are to monitor changes in water temperature across the site, to record benthic cover and reef composition, and to monitor long-term changes in the distribution and abundance of coral recruits. The team is also looking to study the severity and extent of coral bleaching events.
Reef fish survey
As a result of various disturbances, the health of coral reefs, which are home to an incredible diversity of marine fish species, continues to deteriorate. While much research has focused on the reefs themselves, less is known about the consequences for the fish communities that depend on them.
As part of this project, the Save Our Seas Foundation seeks to identify trends in the diversity, abundance, size class and biomass of reef fish at the reef sites of D’Arros and St Joseph.
The team does this by studying the different species of reef fish found at different sites around the islands and monitoring long-term changes in the distribution and abundance of reef fish species, as well as classifying the species. by size class.
Reef Manta Population Survey
Targeted for their gill plates, scientists are seeing a decline in the global population of reef manta rays. The species is currently classified as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), indicating a high risk of extinction.
Through the survey, the Save Our Seas Foundation seeks to identify and understand the movement patterns of the species as well as the size of their residence population of the reef manta rays that use the Arros site.
In collaboration with the Manta Trust, data collected by the Save Our Seas Foundation is fed into a broader regional understanding of the population and ecology of these endangered animals in Seychelles.
Tracking marine turtle nests
Listed respectively as Critically Endangered and Endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the hawksbill turtle and green turtle are both in decline.
Arros Island and St Joseph’s Atoll having been identified as one of the most important areas of the Seychelles and the wider Western Indian Ocean for the nesting of the species, the Save Our Seas Foundation seeks to better understand the number of populations, nesting activity and movements of marine turtles in the area.
To do this, the team regularly records the distribution of nesting turtles around Arros and St Joseph, collects information on the size and identity of nesting turtles as well as the number of eggs and monitors the number of both species. turtles that use the nesting site to inform long-term population trends.
Acoustic telemetry
Covering a range of species – shark, ray, fish and turtle – the main objective of this project is to monitor habitat use patterns and behavior of species that use the D’Arros and St Joseph site.
Understanding the movements of different species in space and time gives the Save Our Seas Foundation an insight into the role of these species within ecosystems, as well as the demands they have on these ecosystems. Movement data collected for threatened species is particularly important in informing the management and protection of these species.
The team placed a total of 89 receiving stations on Arros Island, St Joseph’s Atoll and the wider region, which record information on the presence of individual animals that have been tagged with acoustic transmitters. . By doing this, the movement and distribution of different animals is better understood over time.
