Scientists from TRCC and GTOPP are at sea in the Indian Ocean with the Bertarelli Foundation's Chagos Archipelago Science Expedition 2016. Dr Heather Koldewey, Chief Scientist of the Expedition, wrote:
Day 7 highlights – 11th April 2016, Egmont Atoll
Turtle team
-
Two fresh hawksbill turtle
tracks on Egmont Island
today – these are new since
the surveys yesterday.
- Lots of turtles seen during dives.
Coral Reef Team
The reef 3D models are developing well and we are hoping to use the super- computing power of the Vava II to process some of the larger projects while we are here.
The reef 3D models are developing well and we are hoping to use the super- computing power of the Vava II to process some of the larger projects while we are here.
Bleaching is progressing at most of the
sites and has started to affect many
different species and growth forms in the
shallows down to around 12 m including
some of the massive Porites boulder
corals.
Environmental DNA (eDNA)
-
eDNA is an exciting new monitoring
technique being used for the first time
in the Chagos Archipelago!
-
Fish, corals and other reef life all release
small amounts of DNA into the water,
which we collect from the reef at all
sites surveyed.
-
These water samples are pumped
through a filter, catching all the tiny
DNA fragments.
-
Genetic techniques will be used to
identify reef life in the Chagos
Archipelago, from microbes to sharks,
just from these tiny DNA fragments
floating in the water.
Tagging team
5 mantas tagged
today in Egmont
Atoll
False killer whales
-
Identification of whales confirmed as false
killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) by
colleagues at ZSL and Stanford.
-
The prey of this species includes a variety of
large pelagic fish, including several species
of tuna.
-
They are Data Deficient on IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species.
-
Main threats are bycatch from fisheries,
decline of prey species and accumulation of
high levels of persistent organic pollutants.
The BIOT marine reserve is therefore a
valuable refuge for this species.
-
The false killer whale is a relatively poorly
known species, and more research is
needed.
Thanks for another busy but great day!
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