Numerous institutions, including the IRD, Ifremer and the CNRS, will be participating in the "Indian Ocean Mission" led by the Monaco Explorations. MARBEC will be involved through three projects developed during this campaign, the Saya de Malha ecosystem study project, led by Francis MARSAC (IRD), the 4SEA project led by Sylvain BONHOMMEAU (Ifremer) and Julien BARDE (IRD) with the participation of Sylvain POULAIN (IRD), and finally GECOS Tortues Marines led by
Jérôme BOURJEA (Ifremer) and Quentin SCHULL (Ifremer).
This mission is the first element of the "Monaco Explorations" project, approved as part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development (known as the "Decade of the Ocean").
The carrier ship for this campaign is the 134 meters S.A. Agulhas II, the flagship of the South African oceanographic fleet. The campaign will start on 10 October in Mauritius and end in the same place on 22 November 2022, passing through Reunion, Aldabra, Mahé, Saya de Malha and St Brandon.
- © LooPoo VesselFinder
Two particular marine areas outline the scientific programme: the Saya de Malha area and a selection of islands and seamounts located along the mission route. This programme is guided by the four main themes of the Monaco Explorations: coral protection, megafauna protection, marine protected areas and new exploration technologies.
Saya de Malha ecosystem
MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDY OF THE SAYA DE MALHA BANK. A SURVEY OF THE BENTHIC BIODIVERSITY AND THE PELAGIC ECOSYSTEM
© Greenpeace, Tommy Trenchard
This project is designed with a goal of “Science for Ocean Governance and Marine planning”. Conducted by the Research Institute for sustainable Development (IRD) in collaboration with the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), the scientific team onboard will gather a range of skills and expertise from Seychelles and Mauritius: researchers, students, staff of the Department of the Blue Economy, marine resources and fisheries, universities… The major part of the project will be a survey of the benthic biodiversity (seabed-associated fauna and flora), by scuba divers using recyclers that allow to work to depth of 60 meters, and by towed gears.
4SEA
STUDY OF THE COMBINED IMPACT OF COASTAL HUMAN ACTIVITIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON MARINE ECOSYSTEMS
The 4Sea project aims to disentangle the combined impacts of coastal human activities and climate change on marine ecosystems in the western Indian Ocean. By deploying autonomous observation systems in pristine ecosystems and ecosystems subject to anthropic impacts, in confined areas (lagoons) and in the open ocean, this research programme aims to answer key scientific questions.
The images and data collected will be used for mapping, bathymetry and photogrammetry to obtain 3D maps of habitats. These data will serve as reference points and comparisons for stations already sampled in the past.
GECOS Tortues Marines
STUDY OF THE GENETIC STRUCTURE AND LEVELS OF CONTAMINATION AND STRESS IN MARINE TURTLES
The increase in human population and the growing anthropic and climatic pressures on marine ecosystems raise the question of the sustainability of the exploitation and conservation of these marine ecosystems. This conservation depends first and foremost on our ability to measure these changes on a daily basis, to make this information collection sustainable over the long term and to develop relevant and reliable indicators of these pressures on the ecosystems. Marine megafauna are particularly sensitive to these pressures and there are unfortunately many examples of entire populations disappearing. The case of marine turtles is particularly interesting because, as emblematic species of marine diversity, they have contributed to the development of an approach by species to promote the conservation of a habitat, a community or an ecosystem.
To know more
Follow the "Indian Ocean Mission" through the "Logbook" set up by Monaco Explorations
https://www.monacoexplorations.org/carnet-de-bord/ : follow the boat's route in real time, get the schedule of operations, discover the news and the daily notes…
Communiqué de presse
https://www.monacoexplorations.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Dossier-Presse_Explorations-de-Monaco_mission-ocean-Indien.pdf