SOSF 2013 | 2014 | 2015 Annual Report - Special Seychelles Edition

SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION

ANNUAL REPORT 2013 | 2014 | 2015 SELECTION OF ACTIVTIES IN THE SEYCHELLES

SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION

ANNUAL REPORT 2013 | 2014 | 2015 SELECTION OF ACTIVTIES IN THE SEYCHELLES

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SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION 10 ANNIVERSARY ANNUAL REPORT 2013 TH

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SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION 10 ANNIVERSARY ANNUAL REPORT 2013 TH

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”AS LONG AS THERE ARE PEOP ACTION, WE CAN AND WILL M

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PLE WHO CARE AND TAKE MAKE A DIFFERENCE.”

THE FOUNDER | SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION

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CEO’S NOTE

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In 2013, the Save Our Seas Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Supporting ocean conservation, research and education projects has been our primary objective.

We have refined our mission and vision statements to include current needs for a more holistic conservation-based science approach with clearly defined outcomes.

Since its inception, the Foundation has stayed close to the pulse of current scientific and conservation projects focused on elasmobranchs. In addition, we have given special attention to early career scientists and promoted their work beyond the obscure scientific journals in which information is all too often hidden from the public eye.

The Foundation’s success rests on a team of a dozen people who are passionate about enriching our understanding of charismatic marine megafauna, bringing change to the public’s perspective and upholding the original vision of the Founder.

We are fortunate to be able to work with leading scientists, innovative conservationists and dynamic educators worldwide, along with the best photographers and writers to present their achievements and reports from the field.

With this 10th Annual Report, we celebrate the people behind the incredible and fascinating stories: our project leaders.

2013 marks the first year the Foundation moved to a biennial rhythm for its Keystone Grants, while launching the application for its annual Small Grants designed for early career professionals. We funded 59 projects, four research and education centres, and several students to attend scientific conferences.

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Michael Scholl | Chief Executive Officer

SOSF D’ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE RAINER VON BRANDIS INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY

The natural environment of D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll is among the most pristine and spectacular in the world. Scores of sharks, manta rays, turtles, stingrays and fish inhabit the lagoon and the surrounding coral reefs while flocks of seabirds roost in trees overlooking tranquil beaches. In recognition of the islands’ outstanding natural values, the private owners established the D’Arros Research Centre (DRC) in 2004 and tasked it with becoming a regional centre of excellence for marine and tropical island conservation. Initially, collaborations were established with local and international institutions and baseline ecological surveys were conducted in the various habitats. Over the ensuing years an increasing number of research projects and monitoring programmes were implemented in response to questions raised by the baseline surveys and visiting scientists. More recently the D’Arros Research Centre expanded its activities to include ecosystem restoration and environmental education. To date the D’Arros Research Centre has initiated 34 projects in collaboration with more than 25 institutions, resulting in two PhD dissertations, one MSc dissertation, nine scientific journal publications and 27 scientific reports.

The DRC’s facilities consist of a dry and a wet laboratory that are separated by a series of eight flow-through seawater tanks. The dry lab contains computer and electronic equipment while the wet lab is used for sample analysis and experimentation. The flow-through tanks house corals, algae and other benthic organisms for experimental research purposes.

and St Joseph Atoll. Rainer spent the next five years based on D’Arros where he gained an intimate understanding of the area and its surroundings. In the process he designed and initiated new research, monitoring and restoration programmes and wrote a conservation management plan for the islands. In 2011 Rainer achieved his PhD and became the scientific director of the D’Arros Research Centre.

In 2012, the ownership of the islands changed and the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) was entrusted with the conservation and the centre’s management, and its name changed to the SOSF D’Arros Research Centre (SOSF-DRC).

Chris Boyes was hired in 2013 as the lab manager of the SOSF-DRC. Chris spends 10 months of the year on D’Arros, where his main functions include maintaining facilities, assisting visiting researchers, collecting long-term marine monitoring data and managing the forest rehabilitation programme. Chris studied for a BSc in forestry and has been working with nesting sea turtles in Costa Rica, South Africa and Mozambique since 2005. His Masters study was on the nesting ecology of leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles in Maputaland, South Africa.

This mixture of experience in forestry and marine ecosystems means that Chris is equally at home and competent on land and underwater.

Under the new leadership of the Save Our Seas Foundation, Rainer and Chris have been given all the support and expertise they require to achieve the revived mission statement of the research centre: to preserve and showcase the ecological integrity of D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll through research, monitoring, restoration and education.

D’ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE STAFF The SOSF D’Arros Research Centre is directed by Dr Rainer von Brandis and facilitated by Mr Chris Boyes.

Rainer began his career in the outer Seychelles in 2001, when he arrived at Aldabra Atoll as a volunteer. Five months later he was hired by the Seychelles Islands Foundation as the research officer for Aldabra, where he remained until the end of 2005. In 2006 he was offered an opportunity to conduct his PhD on the foraging ecology of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle at D’Arros Island

CURRENT PROJECTS Projects undertaken by the SOSF-DRC fall into four categories: long-term monitoring, targeted research, ecosystem restoration and environmental education.

Long-term monitoring programmes are a vital tool in conservation because they show trends over long periods of time. The longer the timeline of data, the more powerful the results become. As humans, we tend to limit our perception of change to our own lifetimes. Consider for instance a retired fisherman who, as a child, caught at least 10 times more fish in a day than he does today. In his 10

eyes, fish stocks were healthy or even plentiful ‘back in the day’ when he was a youngster. However, his deceased grandfather probably caught 20 times more in his time – and his forefathers even more! Thus, the fisherman’s perception of what constitutes healthy fish stocks is undoubtedly incorrect. This tendency to apply inappropriate baselines to assess environmental health has been termed ‘the shifting baseline syndrome’ and has elicited fierce debate between conservationists and resource extractors in recent times. Long-term monitoring programmes alleviate the effects of this syndrome and thus provide a key management tool for conservation.

The SOSF-DRC uses state-of-the-art equipment to monitor climate change, population numbers and ecosystem health. Low-lying sandy islands are more prone to the effects of global warming than any other environment.

Although sea level rise is the most obvious threat, increasing sea temperatures also accelerate erosion and result in habitat-altering sand shifts. Corals normally buffer wave action but when mass mortality occurs during sea-warming events, water turbulence over the reef flat and against the beaches increases significantly and with devastating effects. So far, D’Arros and St Joseph have remained relatively unscathed, although increased erosion has been noticed in some places following the mass coral mortality during the 1998 sea-warming event. With its automated weather station and extensive array of temperature and sea level loggers, the SOSF-DRC monitors changes in climatic conditions and relates these to data from its erosion and coral bleaching monitoring programmes. Over time this will enable it to model the effects of climate change on the islands and, where feasible, take mitigatory action.

D’Arros and St Joseph support one of the largest nesting sea turtle populations in Seychelles. Hundreds of endangered green and hawksbill turtles migrate annually from their distant foraging grounds to nest on the islands’ pristine beaches.

Nesting activity has been monitored daily since 2004 and, encouragingly, numbers appear to be on the rise. The SOSF-DRC also monitors the numbers of manta rays in the area, reef-dwelling macro invertebrates, nesting birds and reef fish using a high-tech piece of equipment called a stereo-video photogrammetric system. In 11

short, images from two underwater video cameras are overlapped to provide a dimension of depth so that fish can be measured. Holding the camera system horizontally and pointed forward, a diver swims slowly over predetermined coral reef transects while recording continuously. Back at the lab, the video is imported into sophisticated software for identifying, counting and measuring all fish, sharks, rays and turtles encountered on the transects. These data are then extrapolated to estimate fish biomass and diversity for the whole area. Regular monitoring over the years will indicate which species are changing in numbers in response to specific environmental variables such as fishing pressure, global warming and natural species shifts.

TARGETED RESEARCH

Targeted research projects answer specific questions arising from conservation concerns. For instance, to better protect a threatened species we need to know what its ecological requirements are: What habitats does it utilise? What is its reproductive biology? What does it eat? What eats it? and so on. Answers to these questions allow us to better manage and protect specific species and their habitats.

Presently the SOSF-DRC manages five targeted research projects, all of which concern the ecology and movement behaviour of sharks, manta rays, turtles and stingrays. In collaboration with Danah Divers, the centre manages 70 acoustic receivers that extend to the furthest reaches of the Amirantes Bank.

These receivers are stationed on the sea floor and constantly ‘listen’ for animals fitted with acoustic tags. Each acoustic tag has its own unique code and when it comes within range, the receivers record the code, date and time of the detection. By the end of 2014 more than 70 sharks, 40 turtles, 30 manta rays and 30 stingrays will be fitted with acoustic tags. The resulting data will illustrate the movement patterns of these threatened species, which will greatly assist in their management and protection. For instance, the SOSF-DRC will be able to set effective boundaries for the Marine Protected Area (MPA) and afford improved protection in zones where activity is at its highest. The data will also provide a wealth of information regarding the natural history and ecology of these species.

In collaboration with renowned turtle expert Dr Jeanne Mortimer, the SOSF-DRC has been tracking the long distance migrations of adult sea turtles.

In 2013, we fitted four green turtles with satellite transmitters, one of which travelled 935 kilometres to Aldabra Atoll. In early 2014, we will deploy seven satellite transmitters on nesting hawksbill turtles to determine the origin of their foraging grounds and the migratory routes they take to reach them.

Ecosystem restoration is a vital tool in improving biodiversity on small islands that have undergone anthropogenic damage. Despite being relatively pristine compared to other tropical islands worldwide, some ecosystems at D’Arros and St Joseph have indeed been altered by man. In the marine environment, a bygone era of poaching and overfishing has significantly reduced the numbers of turtles, sharks and fish around the islands. Today however, poaching no longer occurs and commercial fishing is not permitted within the MPA. In the years ahead, long-term marine monitoring programmes will hopefully document the recovery of these species, and highlight the importance of MPAs. Terrestrial ecosystems at D’Arros and St Joseph have suffered extensively at the hand of man. By the early 1800s native vegetation had been almost entirely replaced with coconut plantations and nearly all mangroves had been cut down for timber. Unlike in marine ecosystems, management intervention in the terrestrial environment can significantly accelerate recovery. The SOSF-DRC currently manages an ambitious forest rehabilitation project in which abandoned coconut plantations are systematically replaced with indigenous forest. To restore mangrove forests in the St Joseph lagoon, we are growing seedlings in the nursery and planting them out in suitable areas when they attain a height of about one metre.

Environmental education has always been one of the chief purposes of the Save Our Seas Foundation. In collaboration with other NGOs and the ministry of education, the SOSF-DRC has recently initiated a marine education programme for local school children. Children are awarded this opportunity on merit and come to D’Arros for a week to explore the islands and learn about

conservation by assisting resident scientists in their work, conducting coral reef transects and bird counts, planting trees in the forest and snorkelling with manta rays and turtles.

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ABBIE HINE

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MARINE EDUCATION: A TOOL TO CONSERVE THE SEYCHELLES MARINE ENVIRONMENT WISEOCEANS 2009-2013 SEYCHELLES E ducation C or al R eef E cosystems

WHO I AM Having grown up by the British seaside and spent hours messing about in the water and on boats and beaches, I suppose it was inevitable that the marine environment would continue to be a permanent feature in my life. Yet I’m not sure I could ever have imagined that it would give me the career, experiences and opportunities in some outstanding parts of the world that it has.

A childhood spent mostly outdoors ingrained into me the need to respect and care for nature and the environment. Even from a young age, I never questioned that I wanted to work in conservation, but it wasn’t until my gap year, when I headed to the tropics and learned to dive, that my focus really began to develop.

With one degree to my name and the experience of a few years of working on marine research expeditions, I realised that how and what people are taught about the seas around them can influence their behaviour and their desire to protect them. My Masters degree in coastal tropical management developed this insight further, and my research paper looked into how marine education can be used as a form of management to reduce damage to coral reefs. I subsequently worked for three years as a resident marine biologist at luxury resorts in the Maldives.

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In 2007, while working in the Maldives, I was in the right place at the right time to come into contact with the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF). I was working on a coral propagation assignment and the SOSF asked me to take this experience over to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where I set up a small reef restoration project and conducted some marine education classes for the Foundation. The education element of this undertaking expanded and moved to the Seychelles where, for the past three years, I have been coordinating a large marine awareness project.

WHERE I WORK The Seychelles is a country of outstanding natural beauty with very diverse coastal and oceanic habitats. As a nation, however, it relies heavily on its marine resources, focusing on tourism and fisheries as its main economic activities. Due to poor public awareness of their importance and a lack of sustainable development, these marine resources face serious depletion – and the conservation consequences of that would be extremely severe.

In order to counter the depletion it is important to change opinions and behaviour – and the best way to do that is to educate people. Enthusiastic and

passionate teaching combined with visual aids, in-water experiences and a more penetrating look into the intricacies of the marine environment can lead to improvements in environmental stewardship and a renewal of the feeling of ownership.

WHAT I DO The ocean awareness project is both lively and productive, taking marine education into schools throughout the Seychelles and also into the nation’s tourist resorts. To date, the project has passed an awareness of the marine environment on to thousands of local schoolchildren aged between three and 18, as well as to hundreds of teachers and tourists and the wider Seychelles community.

Education is a brilliant way to increase our enjoyment of the oceans and the life within them.

More importantly, it is key to helping to preserve the marine environment. Education can stir a sense of wonder for the beauty of oceans and a compassion for their vulnerability.

I am grateful for the support provided by the Save Our Seas Foundation for one of our most exciting sea turtle conservation and research projects, the D’Arros / St Joseph Community Sea Turtle Monitoring Project.

WHO I AM I Ever since I was a little girl I knew I wanted to be a scientist – but I didn’t know what kind. What I did know was that I loved animals, especially ‘cold’ animals – reptiles, amphibians and insects – and that I loved the outdoors. I grew up in the big city of Chicago in the USA, but from the age of six to twenty I spent all my summers at my family’s fishing lodge in the lakes region of north-western Ontario in Canada.

There I worked as a waitress, a fishing guide and a house painter and in my free time I explored the wildlife of the marshes, lakes and forests. But it was the warmer realms of our planet that particularly attracted me, and in the end I decided to attend postgraduate school in Florida because it was located relatively close to the American tropics.

I had grown up fascinated by accounts of the adventures of naturalists who travelled to the tropical regions of the world and explored wildlife and people there – Raymond Ditmars, Osa and Martin Johnson, George Schaller, Archie Carr, Gerald Durrell, Jane Goodall and Louis Leakey were just a few of my favourites. So in 1973 I decided to join their ranks before starting my postgraduate studies. I bought an air ticket and spent three months travelling on my

own and exploring the diverse ecosystems of Costa Rica in Central America, from the hot and humid lowland rainforests of the Osa Peninsula to the chilly heights of Cerro de la Muerte.

At that time Costa Rica still had 80% of its original forest cover, its ecosystems were intact and it harboured an abundance and diversity of frogs (whose populations are now much reduced). During my third month in the country I worked as a full member of Dr Archie Carr’s sea turtle tagging team at Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast. Later I learned that I’d made history as the first female to do so. In those days North Americans rarely visited Central America; in the summer of 1973 I was one of only about 15 visitors to Tortuguero. Nowadays some 50,000 tourists go there each year to watch nesting sea turtles.

Dr Carr, who was regarded as the ‘father of sea turtle biology’ and was professor emeritus at the University of Florida where I would soon begin my postgraduate studies, was on site during my first visit to Tortuguero and we developed an excellent rapport.

I felt privileged just to make his acquaintance, so it didn’t occur to me at the time that he would later serve as the chair of the supervisory committees for

both my MSc and my PhD degrees. After all, he’d made it clear that he was not taking any new graduate students, having launched his last PhD student in 1969. Nevertheless, I was his student and research collaborator from 1973 until his death in 1987.

Under Dr Carr’s supervision I studied the feeding ecology of green turtles on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua for my MSc and the nesting ecology of the same species at Ascension Island in the South Atlantic for my PhD. And it was he who provided the recommendation I needed to secure my first full-time job after earning my PhD in 1981: a threeyear contract in the Republic of Seychelles in the Indian Ocean to do a study of the status and management of the sea turtle populations of this vast island nation.

WHERE I WORK Although I have worked with sea turtles in some 20 countries on six continents and visited more countries in other capacities since that time, the Republic of Seychelles has remained for me the most interesting of all my postings. This is because of its sea turtle populations with their fascinating nesting and foraging ecology, its wonderful people and its 16

JEANNE A. MORTIMER

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government’s support for biodiversity conservation.

I find the Seychelles so interesting, in fact, that I have acquired dual US and Seychellois citizenship and made the country my home for most of the past two decades.

The Seychelles comprises some 130 islands spread over an area of about 144,000 square kilo­ metres and divided roughly into three groups: the granitic and mountainous Inner Islands where almost all the human population lives; the sandy cay Outer Islands (including the Amirantes), most of which are located between 200 and 400 kilometres from the main island of Mahé; and the remote upraised limestone islands in the south, which lie between 700 and 1,100 kilometres from Mahé.

WHO I AM As well as studying sea turtles and giant tortoises, my work here entails promoting the conservation of the turtles and their habitats. One such effort is the D’Arros/St Joseph Community Sea Turtle Monitoring Project in the Amirantes Islands. Funded by the Save Our Seas Foundation and the first initiative of its kind that is both long-term and intensive, the monitoring project is located on D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll, which are regarded as two of the most biodiverse and least exploited of the islands in the Amirantes group. The project has been under way consistently since 2004 and is remarkable in that virtually all the data are collected by members of the local Seychellois community outside their regular working hours. Although none of these guys are trained scientists, they do a meticulous job of gathering and recording information. A bonus is that the poaching of sea turtles has virtually ceased since monitoring began, most likely because the community feels a sense of ownership for the conservation project.

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D’ARROS ISLAND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL COMMUNITY SEA TURTLE MONITORING PROJECT SOSF D’ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE 2013 D’ARROS ISLAND & ST JOSEPH ATOLL, LES AMIRANTES, SEYCHELLES R esearch , C onservation & E ducation Turtles

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GRACE PHILLIPS

‘The support of Save Our Seas Foundation since 2009 has been vital for training local biologists who are now working towards conservation of the African manatee in 17 countries. Save Our Seas has also funded important African manatee survey, health, and genetics research that is determining where different populations of this rare species occur across the African continent for the first time. I’m extremely grateful to Save Our Seas for their enthusiasm and support of this project!’

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WHO I AM Mysterious depths, warm turquoise shallows, powerful storms and weird and beautiful creatures – what’s not to love about the ocean? It has always fascinated me and I knew inherently that I would grow up to be a marine biologist long before I even understood what the term ‘marine biologist’ really means.

It’s just something I’ve always known I would do and be, and I couldn’t tell you exactly when, or why, it ‘clicked’. I can, however, tell you the moment when I knew I would become a manta researcher.

‘Manta 20 metres off the port side!’ September 2009 in the beautiful Maldives. After finishing my degree and finally being allowed out into the big exciting world of real-life marine biology, I landed myself an amazing position as a volunteer research assistant with the Maldivian Manta Ray Project.

I had never before encountered manta rays, but they immediately made an impact on me. The way they move so gracefully through the water, with such ease and such an aura of wisdom, is breathtaking.

You can see that they are intelligent creatures by the way they eye you up as they cruise past, perhaps making a turn to pass again and suss you out a little more.

And that’s what sold them to me: their intelligence 21

and their curiosity, and also their air of regality and dismissal. Beside a manta ray, we humans are mere clumsy beings in the water – and those mantas sure know it! As soon as they’ve had enough of us oafs, they just need to beat their pectoral fins once or twice and they’re gone, far too fast for us to even dream of keeping up with them.

WHERE I WORK From these first encounters, I knew I had to pursue the route of manta ray research. With continuous persistence and determination and all-important networking, I finally got the big break I was hoping for and was appointed a project leader for the Manta Trust and researcher with the Save Our Seas Foundation–D’Arros Research Centre (SOSF–DRC) Manta Ray Project, in the beautiful Seychelles. The SOSF– DRC is nestled behind a beautiful white sandy beach and just several fin kicks away from a reef full of life: reef sharks, turtles, inquisitive fish, dolphins and the all-important manta rays. The range of marine habitat surrounding D’Arros Island and its neighbouring atoll is astounding, and it’s really something to be able to work in such a marine biologist’s paradise.

WHAT I DO My manta project comprises two parts: the long-term monitoring component and the tagging component, both of which are equally important.

The monitoring component consists of surveying the waters around the island for manta rays, recording all sightings as well as the prevailing atmospheric and oceanic conditions, and collecting photographic ID shots of the manta rays. Through this we aim to build up an understanding of the demographics of the population: how many mantas are in it, what are the age and sex ratios, and are there any signs of mating activity?

For the acoustic tagging component we attach to a manta ray an acoustic transmitter that sends out ‘pings’ at pre-determined intervals to receivers attached to the seabed. This will enable us to follow the movements of the population and discover where manta rays move within their habitat and why and when they move from one habitat to another.

What makes this population of manta rays special is that, unlike many other populations globally, they have not been targeted by fisheries to feed the Asian demand for manta ray gill rakers. They also face little danger of being caught as incidental

SPATIO-TEMPORAL MOVEMENTS OF MANTA RAYS IN THE AMIRANTES D’ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE 2013 D’ARROS ISLAND & ST JOSEPH ATOLL, LES AMIRANTES, SEYCHELLES R esearch M anta r ay ( M anta alfredi)

by-catch by local fishermen. As a result, we have a healthy, natural population that allows us to build up baseline data and look into the movements, habitat connectivity and sociality of manta rays unaffected by external influences.

What’s more, the research centre has installed 70 acoustic receivers around D’Arros Island and further afield too, covering the entire Amirantes Bank on which the island is situated. Seventy acoustic receivers is an enormous array to have and they will return some fantastic and extremely interesting data on manta ray movements.

This will be hugely important for the continuing drive to protect the species on a global scale.

By knowing where manta rays go and why they move, we can identify critical habitats and more effectively designate protective areas for them. In fact, one aim of the project is to work towards securing local legislation that will officially protect reef manta rays regionally and thus ensure that they don’t fall victim to the expanding targeted fishery for the species.

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WHO I AM When my wife Glynis and I moved to the Seychelles and through our diving activities we started to see ways in which we could help conserve local marine life. We began implementing several marine conservation and awareness projects, and one of the first of these was teaching children from the National Youth Service camp how to snorkel in the marine national park where the camp was situated. For many of the youngsters this was the first time they had ever been in the sea, let alone snorkelled or seen live fish!

WHERE I WORK As one of the founders of the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles, and based on a long association with the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF), I put forward the idea of an integrated marine education programme. This would provide facilities for local youths and adults and give them information about the marine life in the Seychelles, ways in which they could protect it, and potential careers in the sphere of the marine environment.

With its white-sand beaches and clear waters teeming with marine life, the Seychelles is indeed a ‘paradise island’ destination, but it still faces many of

the same challenges that mainland areas face, including the effects of climate change. In fact on islands, with their extensive shorelines and limited land mass, these effects are exaggerated.

project is sowing the seeds for continued marine education and awareness throughout the community here in the Seychelles and thus supporting the overall goals of the SOSF.

WHAT I DO The Integrated Education Project provides secondary school pupils with a ‘summer camp’ environment in which they are introduced to the marine life of Seychelles and some of the research activities being carried out by local organisations. We provide training at a vocational level in specific areas, notably in shark identification and research and in the monitoring of marine mammals. The latter is especially important with respect to the development of offshore petroleum exploration around the islands.

The project has direct links with other SOSF programmes; this past summer, for example, the camps enabled the SOSF centre on D’Arros to showcase its research work to the youngsters. The current marine mammal training courses will similarly help provide local environment and NGO staff with better skills for monitoring these species, all of which are protected around Seychelles waters. Additionally, the

INTEGRATED MARINE SCIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAMME IN THE SEYCHELLES MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY SEYCHELLES 2012-2013 SEYCHELLES E ducation C or al R eef E cosystem

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DAVID ROWAT

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WHO I AM After completing a degree in nature conservation in Pretoria, South Africa, I spent the first part of my career in the African bushveld, where I studied the movements of white rhinos, conducted anti-poaching patrols and guided on safaris. Several years later I took a temporary job as a botanical guide at Rocktail Bay on the northern coast of South Africa. During my first encounter with a nesting turtle on the beach, I was so inspired by these vulnerable creatures that I sensed a major fork in my career path. Soon I became hopelessly addicted to the ocean and spent all my spare time getting to know it.

After hastily completing my honours degree, I returned to Rocktail as a turtle researcher and stayed there for nearly two years. My persistent hunger for adventure eventually won me a four-month voluntary position at Aldabra, a remote, untouched coral atoll teeming with turtles and other marine life. I loved it so much out there that I ended up staying for five years, working as the chief scientific officer.

In 2006 I was offered an opportunity to conduct my PhD on the foraging ecology of the Critically Endangered hawksbill turtle at D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll in the Amirantes, a group

of islands and atolls in the Seychelles. I spent the next five years following turtles around underwater and gaining an intimate understanding of the area and its surroundings. In 2011 I completed my PhD and took up the position of scientific director of the D’Arros Research Centre.

WHERE I WORK The natural environment of D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll is among the most pristine and spectacular in the world. Scores of sharks, manta rays, turtles, stingrays and fish inhabit the lagoon and the surrounding coral reefs, while flocks of seabirds roost in trees overlooking tranquil beaches. The D’Arros Research Centre, where we are based, is situated on the beach crest of D’Arros Island and overlooks the ocean. We often spot turtles, mantas, sharks and dolphins from our office! Just this morning, while we were preparing some research equipment, a hawksbill turtle emerged from the sea and nested right in front of the centre. As we watched it, a train of several manta rays passed by just 50 metres out to sea.

Despite being the largest of the 17 islands that comprise the D’Arros and St Joseph chain, D’Arros

is small enough that you can walk along its uninterrupted sandy beach and complete a circuit of the entire island in just two hours. About 30 people live here to maintain the infrastructure and conduct research, but all the remaining islands are uninhabited.

Daily activities from the centre are diverse and include regular scuba diving to monitor the coral reefs and download remote sensors, travelling on the boat to collect ID photos of manta rays and walking the beaches to tag turtles. We usually have several researchers, students and volunteers working on various projects and thus we enjoy a productive and pleasant atmosphere on the island.

WHAT I DO Hawksbills are gentle, charismatic creatures whose global population has been decimated by more than 80% over the past century due to the demand for their shells (tortoiseshell actually comes from hawksbills).

These Critically Endangered turtles spend most of their long adult lives at a particular foraging ground, where they maintain small home ranges and feed mostly on sponges. Every few years, however, 26

RAINER VON BRANDIS

‘The support of Save Our Seas Foundation since 2009 has been vital for training local biologists who are now working towards conservation of the African manatee in 17 countries. Save Our Seas has also funded important African manatee survey, health, and genetics research that is determining where different populations of this rare species occur across the African continent for the first time. I’m extremely grateful to Save Our Seas for their enthusiasm and support of this project!’

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POST-NESTING MIGRATIONS OF HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLES OF D’ARROS ISLAND D’ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE 2013 D’ARROS ISLAND & ST JOSEPH ATOLL, LES AMIRANTES, SEYCHELLES R esearch & E ducation H awksbill sea turtles ( E retmochelys imbricata )

females undertake epic oceanic migrations to nest on the same beaches that they themselves emerged from as hatchlings. D’Arros and St Joseph are among the few places where the nesting population appears to be increasing because the private owners have protected them since 1975. Indeed, ours is currently one of the biggest hawksbill rookeries in the Western Indian Ocean. In order to fully understand and protect these turtles, we are eager to determine the location of their foraging grounds and the routes they take to reach them.

Other studies suggest that the turtles could live as far away as the African mainland (1,500 kilometres) or perhaps much closer, even on the Amirantes bank where D’Arros and St Joseph are situated. We also know that adult hawksbills usually occupy progressively deeper foraging grounds as they mature, which is why we only see juveniles foraging on the reefs around our islands. Apart from this, we know nothing about where these turtles spend most of their life! Once we know where they go and what threats they face at their foraging grounds, we hope to take steps to ensure that they are adequately protected in the future. From a biological point of view, we also wish to know what hawksbills are capable of in terms

of migratory distance and speed, and what the foraging grounds look like in terms of depth, proximity to land and the composition of the sea bottom.

The nesting season at D’Arros and St Joseph peaks in December, at which time several turtles can be encountered on the beach laying their eggs. Interestingly, Seychelles is the only place in the world where hawksbills nest during the day. Towards the end of the nesting season, we will be attaching a satellite transmitter to the carapace of seven turtles after they have finished laying their eggs. The transmitters will provide the exact location of the turtles on a daily basis. This will be so exciting – the first thing I will be doing every morning is logging onto the tracking website and seeing where the turtles are!

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SOSF D’ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE | D’ARROS ISL AND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL | AMIR ANTES | SEYCHELLES

After completing a degree in nature conservation in Pretoria, South Africa, Rainer spent the first part of his career in the African bushveld, where he studied white rhino movements, conducted anti-poaching patrols and guided safaris. Several years later he took a temporary job as a botanical guide at Rocktail Bay on the northern coast of South Africa. During his first encounter with a nesting turtle on the beach, he was so inspired by these vulnerable creatures that he sensed a major fork in his career path.

He soon became hopelessly addicted to the ocean and spent all his spare time getting to know it. After hastily completing his honours degree, he returned to Rocktail as a turtle researcher and stayed there for nearly two years.

Rainer’s persistent hunger for adventure eventually led him to a four-month voluntary position at Aldabra, a remote, untouched coral atoll teeming with turtles and other marine life. He loved it so much out there that he ended up staying for five years, employed as the chief scientific officer. In 2006 he was offered an opportunity to conduct his PhD on the foraging ecology of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle at D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll in the Amirantes group of the Seychelles. He spent the next five years following turtles around underwater and gaining an intimate understanding of the area and its surroundings. Having completed his PhD in 2011, he took up the position of scientific director of the D’Arros Research Centre.

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BOYES CHRISTOPHER AL AN | L AB MANAGER For Chris Boyes, being the lab manager at the research centre on D’Arros Island in the Seychelles means that he is the fulltime person on the ground who maintains a world-class facility for research and education. At the same time, he manages the longterm studies and rehabilitation projects on and around the island and neighbouring St Joseph’s Atoll.

Since gaining a BSc in forestry (nature conservation) from the University of Stellenbosch in 2004, Chris has worked on many diverse research projects, from nesting sea turtles in Costa Rica and Maputaland, South Africa, to wetland birds in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. He specialises in working with nesting sea turtles and is currently completing his MSc thesis on leatherback sea turtles in Maputaland with the University of Stellenbosch.

SOSF STAFF

VON BR ANDIS R AINER | SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR

To keep up to date with our activities, follow the Save Our Seas Foundation on Web | saveourseas.com Twitter | @saveourseas Facebook | facebook.com/saveourseasngo Instagram | @saveourseasfoundation

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SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2014

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SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2014

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“AS LONG AS TH WE CAN AND WI 36

HERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CARE, ILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.”

THE FOUNDER | SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION

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CEO’S NOTE

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In 2014, we at the Save Our Seas Foundation consolidated further our team and our centres around the world. We welcomed on board key staff members to lead the education centre and the communication team in South Africa, and we introduced some innovations, offering new opportunities to early-career scientists through our Small Grants and to emerging photographers through the Marine Conservation Photography Grant.

For the first time, we supported 16 new Small Grant projects, which range from mobulid fisheries in Palestine and the use of drones to survey sharks in French Polynesia and identify whales in South Africa to better understanding the personality of lemon sharks in the Bahamas. Although the scope of these grants is limited in time and financial support, we received many applications.

The range and original approaches of the submissions indicate to us that this new category of projects will enable us to maintain our innovative and leadership role in the targeted fields of research and conservation relating to charismatic marine megafauna.

Sifting through thousands of images to identify potential professional photographers who will inspire the world through their vision and lenses is a daunting task. We believe that in Mac Stone and Joris van Alphen, the two winners of the first Marine Conservation Photography Grant, we have identified this rare talent. We are confident that the inspiring results of their assignments in False Bay, South Africa, will enable us to showcase this unique and fragile environment, as well as the complex and intricate relationship it has with humans.

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Although we are dedicated to maintaining the small structure of the foundation, our outreach component and our objective to help our project leaders to communicate their work and results, and share their incredible stories with the world beyond the scientific community, have led us to revisit our strategies.

We launched a biannual magazine that we envisage will become a benchmark in marine conservation publications, merging modern design, stunning visuals and compelling content that is accessible to all audiences. With the present annual report and our new website, we continue to follow a people-centred approach, recognising that all our efforts and accomplishments culminate in the achievements of our project leaders: foremost scientists of the present and future, innovative conservationists and dynamic educators.

Passion and dedication remain at the core of the foundation’s heart and spirit – with our founder having inspired all the team members since the organisation’s inception and still leading the way. With the synergy of a passionate and multi-functional team, along with the flexible and responsive nature of a small structure, we continue our pioneering approach.

Michael Scholl | Chief Executive Officer

SOSF ISLAND SCHOOL SEYCHELLES AND SOSF D’ARROS EXPERIENCE ABI MARCH

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From a population of 92,000 people in the Seychelles, we estimate that the SOSF Island School Seychelles reached about 1,500 students in 2014, and out of that number we’re confident that we have some excellent marine ambassadors in the making!

The SOSF Island School Seychelles got off to a great start in early 2014 with the launch of the D’Arros Experience. It began with a competition that any Seychellois secondary school student could enter, the prize being a week-long adventure on the Outer Island of D’Arros and nearby St Joseph Atoll. Students were required to write an essay, first explaining why they wanted to join the programme and then either discussing what the ocean means to them or addressing a marine environmental problem and planning a solution that could be met by a group of young students. We had 34 entries, which were judged by representatives from SOSF Island School Seychelles, the Save Our Seas Foundation, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environment and Energy. The 16 students selected went on to attend a team-building session at the Global Vision International (GVI) base at Cap Ternay on Mahé. Here they were assessed for their team work and enthusiasm and all 16 were deemed excellent candidates to participate in the D’Arros Experience.

The day of departure soon came round and on Sunday, 27 April the first group of eight students met at the airport. Accompanying them were SOSF Island School Seychelles project advisor Abbie Hine, art teacher Neil Leon from English River Secondary School and myself. Excitement was high as we boarded the plane and flew to the start of our adventure. Flying low over the beautiful turquoise waters of St Joseph’s lagoon was breathtaking. We soon landed and were greeted by the Save Our Seas Foundation and Danah Divers teams that would be helping with the week’s activities.

Over the next week we swam over the beautiful coral reefs, marvelling at the number and variety of fishes. We encountered turtles, rays and sharks, both on our snorkels on the reef and on boat trips around St Joseph Atoll. We accompanied Chris Boyes, the lab manager at the SOSF D’Arros Research Centre, on trips to the lagoon to tag and release juvenile hawksbill and green turtles. And we joined the rangers on their turtle-monitoring patrols and found a hawksbill turtle just as she finished laying her eggs. On one afternoon out on the boat we were ecstatic to see a pod of rare Risso dolphins.

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Back on land, our exploring continued and we observed the different bird species found on D’Arros Island. We visited the forest and helped clear young coconut trees to make way for the indigenous trees we planted to rehabilitate the area. We were astounded at the amount of rubbish collected during a beach cleanup. When not out exploring, the students participated in activities to increase their knowledge about the different animals, habitats and threats they had seen with their own eyes. They attended talks given by the educators and scientists about turtles, sharks, rays, coral, birds and other exciting topics. By the end of that week the eight young explorers were very tired but extremely happy.

On the following Sunday our plane landed at D’Arros and the second group of eight students arrived with teacher Andy Alvis from the English River Secondary School. As we welcomed the new group to begin their adventure, we waved goodbye to the first group, sending them back home to share their stories of the week with family and friends. The second week was as exciting as the first and we continued to discover all the incredible animals and habitats that D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll have to offer. During the second week the students were lucky to encounter several manta rays on a boat survey around the island and were amazed to see these majestic creatures swimming through the water. All 16 students who participated in the D’Arros Experience thoroughly enjoyed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and took so much away from it.

Back on Mahé, we continued to meet new students. We run monthly marine activity mornings at the Natural History Museum. Although they target primary school pupils, the sessions are open to everyone and at each one we welcome between 20 and 50 children. Each month we focus on a different marine animal or habitat, for example learning about the importance of corals and making our own colourful coral reefs. We have discovered how big and brilliant whale sharks are and turned a yogurt pot into the spotty animal that has a big mouth for eating lots of plankton. We have marvelled at manta rays and made our own, each with a unique spot pattern. We have learnt facts about each of the world’s whales and dolphins.

It’s not just the children attending the sessions who enjoy the activities; tourists passing through often come over and see what we are doing. During the session about manta rays, a group of Swedish tourists were delighted with a game of ‘pin the tail on the manta ray’! A comment in the museum’s visitor book from that morning read ‘Visiting schoolchildren were wonderful!’ It is brilliant to see so many youngsters every month who all leave the museum with some marine knowledge that they take home to pass on to their families.

In early August our Natural History Museum session focused on sea turtles to tie in with the Seychelles Sea Turtle Festival that was taking place the following weekend. The D’Arros Experience students came along and helped the younger children make turtle kites that would be flown at the festival’s Family Fun Day. The students also gave a presentation to the children about their adventures with turtles during their D’Arros Experience. The younger children loved listening to the older students talk, and it was an excellent opportunity for the students to practise their presentation in preparation for the festival’s opening ceremony the following Friday.

The Island School students played a big part in the Seychelles Sea Turtle Festival. One of them, Frances, was an MC for the opening ceremony. Then 10 of the students gave their presentation to a theatre full of guests about their time with turtles and what they had learnt on D’Arros. We were delighted that two of our students, Hamish and Maryssa, also won prizes in the school artwork and public speaking competitions. The Save Our Seas Foundation was one of the sponsors of the artwork competition and, together with GVI and Seychelles Islands Foundation, produced calendars of the stunning winning images of Seychelles sea turtles. In the week leading up to the festival, two Island School students, Tessa and Noah, were interviewed by the radio station Pure FM. They talked about their turtle encounters and about what being part of the D’Arros Experience meant to them. On the festival’s Family Fun Day, the Island School manned a Save Our Seas Foundation stand and hundreds of people came to make turtle headbands and decorate turtles made from recycled plastic bottles.

For the schools’ competition at both the Seychelles Sea Turtle Festival and SUBIOS (underwater festival), I was a judge for the artwork categories. The standard of entries was very high and for both competitions the Save Our Seas Foundation donated prizes of books, wrist bands and T-shirts. The foundation has been supporting SUBIOS for the past five years and the Seychelles Sea Turtle Festival since it began in 2013.

In June we launched the application process for the Marine Explorers Programme. Over six days we visited nine secondary schools on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue and spoke to more than 1,000 students about this exciting holiday programme. We received over 100 applications, which were judged by representatives from the Save Our Seas Foundation, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Environment and Energy and GVI Seychelles. Our 24 enthusiastic explorers were selected and we ran the first part of the programme in the August–September school holiday, followed by the second part in the December holiday.

The programme was held at the GVI Seychelles base at Cap Ternay, enabling us to visit the Baie Ternay and Port Launay national marine parks. It introduced students to the different coastal habitats found in the Seychelles, looking at their importance, the animals that live in them and the threats that they face.

This is done in indoor lessons and by exploring the outdoor environment with a snorkel every day.

The snorkelling was the highlight for all the students. Although more than half of them had never snorkelled before, their enthusiasm outweighed any apprehension they might have had. Exploring the sea-grass beds, they announced with great excitement every sea cucumber they found. By the time they reached the coral reefs, they were in their element, discovering many different families of fish that they had just been taught in the classroom. A newcomer to snorkelling, 14-year-old Guyan was able to identify each fish family pointed out to him, explaining his excellent memory with ‘Usually I don’t have a good memory, but I remember stuff I’m really interested in’ – an excellent attitude for a young marine ambassador! The requests for identification kept coming and as the programme 42

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progressed the descriptions improved from ‘I saw a red fish, what was it?’ to ‘I saw a fish, I think it was a butterflyfish and it had the face of a raccoon.’

Thirteen-year-old Alvania’s description of a raccoon butterflyfish was spot on!

As well as the fish, we discovered moray eels hiding in crevices, stingrays camouflaged against the sandy sea floor and turtles foraging on the reef. In every habitat we explored we found new and exciting creatures, from tiny hermit crabs on the sandy beaches to mudskippers on the rocky shores, from stingrays in the mangroves to turtles on the coral reefs. Why were all of these different habitats and animals so important? We learned that each animal has a vital role to play in maintaining a healthy ecosystem and that all the different habitats provide different things for their inhabitants: a home, a hiding place, somewhere to find food, a safe place to give birth.

Then it was the turn of sharks and we looked at how important and awesome they are. At first most of the students had a very negative view of these predators, regarding them as scary and dangerous. When asked if they had ever seen a shark before, they all answered yes. When asked where they had seen one, the answers Jaws and Sharknado revealed that few of the students had ever encountered a real shark in the water. We explored the reasons for sharks having a bad reputation and the students were surprised to learn that it was not justified.

It wasn’t just the students who were keen. Primary school teacher Fred Hypolite joined us for the entire programme and was an enthusiastic learner. Fred loves the natural environment but hadn’t had much to do with its marine side until now. He took every opportunity to ask questions and take notes and during the following term he shared with his younger students all he had learnt. A previous SOSF Island School Seychelles student, Irma Dubois, also assisted during the December programme. It was great to see Irma share her enthusiasm for the marine environment with the students. We’re delighted that both Fred and Irma are continuing to work with us at SOSF Island School Seychelles.

The D’Arros Experience and the Marine Explorers Programme certainly ignited a passion for the marine world and since participating in the programmes 44

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the students have regularly attended weekend snorkel sessions. When the session is announced, the students are quick to e-mail, text or call to secure one of the 24 places each trip. They’re always eager to take part in other activities too, like the ‘One F’in Mile’, which the Island School organised for a Sunday afternoon at the end of August. The event was to raise awareness about shark finning and raise money for the ‘Hacked Off’ campaign arranged by Bite-Back Shark and Marine Conservation. In the UK, Bite-Back had organised one-mile walks that participants completed wearing their fins. We brought the idea to the Seychelles and, despite the heat, 22 students turned up to complete the mile walk along the busy Beau Vallon beach. To make it more of a shark fest, we wore cardboard fins on our backs as well as the fins on our feet, and the students had decorated them with anti-shark finning slogans and images. We received a lot of interest and supportive comments from beach-goers and raised SCR2,000 for the ‘Hacked Off’ campaign.

In November we were back at the Natural History Museum with a special event: the first screening of the SOSF D’Arros Experience series of videos.

This year’s D’Arros explorers attended with their families and friends and some of the previous year’s students were also there. We were honoured to be joined by Michael Scholl, the CEO of the Save Our Seas Foundation, who had just flown in to the Seychelles that morning. In between watching the videos, the students read blogs about their experiences. Past student Irma Dubois narrated a moving piece she had written, called ‘How Save Our Seas saved me’. Michael then presented each student with a certificate of participation in the D’Arros Experience. It was a fantastic way to bring back the memories of our trip and share the adventure with the students’ families and friends.

At the end of 2014, the Save Our Seas Foundation generously donated four air conditioning units to the museum. The units will be fitted upstairs and will make our regular marine activity sessions and other events held there a more comfortable and enjoyable experience.

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We thank all the partners and supporters of SOSF Island School Seychelles for helping to make our first year a successful one. Particular thanks go to the Environmental Education Unit at the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, GVI Seychelles and Seychelles National Parks Authority, Seychelles Natural History Museum, SOSF D’Arros Research Centre, SOSF Conservation Media Unit, Chelonia Company Ltd, Danah Divers and Air Seychelles.

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SOSF D’ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE RAINER VON BRANDIS

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The natural environment of D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll is among the most ecologically healthy and spectacular in the world. More sea turtles come to nest on the beaches, more sharks, rays and fishes swarm over the coral reef and more seabirds nest and roost in the trees than at any other island in the Seychelles’ Amirantes Group.

The Save Our Seas Foundation D’Arros Research Centre (SOSF–DRC) has been tasked with preserving and showcasing the ecological integrity of these islands and their surrounding marine environment through research, monitoring, restoration and education. Since its inception in 2004 the SOSF–DRC has initiated no fewer than 34 research projects in collaboration with more than 25 institutions, resulting in two PhD dissertations, one MSc dissertation, 11 scientific journal publications and 27 scientific reports.

The SOSF–DRC uses state-of-the-art equipment to monitor climate change (weather, sea temperature, sea level and currents), population numbers (nesting and foraging turtles, fishes, sharks, manta rays and seabirds) and ecosystem health (coral reefs and reef flats). These long-term monitoring programmes have been instrumental in guiding management decisions and the design of new targeted research projects. Recently the SOSF–DRC began some exciting targeted research projects that include the ecology of stingrays and neonate sharks in the atoll; the local movements of manta rays and juvenile hawksbill turtles (acoustic tracking); and the regional movements of adult green and hawksbill nesting turtles (satellite tracking).

In 2010 the centre started an ambitious forest restoration project with the aim of transforming parts of the abandoned coconut plantation back to natural broad-leaved forest. More than six hectares have been restored so far by means of a novel rehabilitation method designed on D’Arros.

In collaboration with other NGOs and local government, the SOSF– DRC has recently initiated a marine education programme for local schoolchildren. Children are awarded this opportunity on merit and come to St Joseph for a week to explore the atoll and learn about conservation. Among other things, they assist resident scientists in their work, conduct coral reef transects and bird counts, plant trees in the forest and snorkel with manta rays and turtles.

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The SOSF–DRC building overlooks the ocean on the north-western side of D’Arros Island. Facilities consist of a dry and a wet laboratory that are separated by a series of eight flow-through sea-water tanks. The dry lab contains computer and electronic equipment and the wet lab is used for sample analysis and experimentation. The flow-through tanks house corals, algae and other benthic organisms for experimental research purposes.

The SOSF–DRC is directed by Dr Rainer von Brandis and managed by lab manager Chris Boyes and research assistant Kerryn Bullock. Throughout the year, the centre supports visiting scientists and research assistants working on their various projects.

A. LONG-TERM MONITORING PROGRAMMES

> Figure 3: An example of a bleached Pocillopora coral on the nor th-eastern reef crest of D’Arros Island (right) that made a full recover y within t wo months (lef t).

Figure 1:

1. CORAL REEFS AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF, RESEARCH ASSISTANTS In 2014, SOSF–DRC staff members conducted more than 250 scuba dives in order to fulfil the requirements of the annual coral reef monitoring programme.

The fundamental aim of this programme is to assess trends in the structure and health of coral reef communities at D’Arros and St Joseph. The purpose of this is fourfold: to determine the causes of potential harmful trends and attempt to lessen them through management intervention; to add to the overall understanding of coral reef ecosystems; to identify new targeted research projects; and to add to the database of the status of coral reefs around the world.

Our coral reef monitoring programme employs standardised methods and sampling strategies and includes the monitoring of ambient environmental and oceanographic parameters; benthic cover and composition; coral recruitment; coral bleaching; growth and survival of coral recruits; and reef fishes and mobile invertebrates. Although only four years old, the programme is already revealing interesting trends. Encouragingly, a general improvement in the health of the coral reef ecosystem at D’Arros and St Joseph is evident in that there has been a gradual increase in the abundance of corals and fishes over the years.

In May 2014 the sea surface in the region became unusually warm and maintained the higher temperature for more than three weeks (Figure 2).

Uncommon events such as this are linked to global warming and if severe they can be detrimental to coral reefs. Coral bleaching occurs when above-average sea temperatures result in the expulsion of the colourful microscopic algae that occur mutualistically in coral skeletons (Brown and Suharsona 1990). The loss of these photosynthetic algae turns corals white, diminishes their energy resources and eventually results in their death. In 1998, almost 70% of the hard corals in the Seychelles region perished due to an uncharacteristically extreme sea-surface warming event (Spencer et al. 2000). The SOSF–DRC has monitored the sea temperature at 21 coral reef sites around the islands since then and when bleaching occurs conducts surveys to determine its extent and which coral species die and which recover.

Results from the benthic photoquadrat survey this year reinforced the increasing trend in hard coral abundance (Figure 4). Encouragingly, the survey of

SOSF–DRC lab manager Chris Boyes measures tagged corals.

Acropora and Pocillopora coral recruitment showed a marked increase in coral recruits over the past three years from an average of 2.6 recruits per square metre in 2012 to 6.2 in 2014, further strengthening the future outlook for corals.

Fish numbers have also shown a steady increase, especially in species that rely on healthy coral reefs (such as damsels and butterflyfishes) or that are subject to fishing pressure (such as snappers and groupers).

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Figure 2: Sea temperature bet ween July 2011 and November 2014 at 5m depth on the nor th-eastern side of D’Arros Island. Note the temperature spike in May that caused a minor bleaching event.

70.0

60.0

% Composition

50.0

40.0

30.0 201 1 2012 2013

20.0

2014

10.0

0.0

Bare ground

Hard corals

Coral algae

Figure 4: Benthic composition at D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll, 2011–2014.

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Sand

Macro algae

Sof t corals

Sessile inver ts

Mobile inver ts

2. COMMUNIT Y MONITORING OF NESTING SEA TURTLES AT D’ARROS ISL AND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL AUTHOR: DR JEANNE MORTIMER PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: CHELONIA STAFF, DR JEANNE MORTIMER, SOSF–DRC STAFF Sea turtles have long been of economic importance to the people of the Seychelles. Historically turtles were killed to extract products for export. Calipee from green turtles was used in Europe to make ‘turtle soup’ (an average 150kilogram turtle yielded approximately 1.5 kilograms of the dried cartilage that goes into the soup) and the scales covering the shell of hawksbill turtles were removed to produce ‘tortoiseshell’, a semi-precious material originally exported to Europe and later (between 1960 and 1992) to Japan. In addition, turtle meat has always featured prominently in traditional Seychelles cuisine. In 1994 the Seychelles government passed a law that offered complete legal protection to all sea turtles and their eggs. The export trade ceased. But some human customs and habits die hard and many Seychellois retained a taste for turtle meat, especially among more traditional Seychellois people who live and work in the nation’s Outer Islands.

Clearly there was a need to persuade people to see turtles in a different light. The best way to do that proved to be to encourage the coastal Seychellois to take ownership of conservation programmes involving sea turtles. The D’Arros Research Centre achieved this through its ‘Community Monitoring of Nesting Sea Turtles’ programme, which enlists Seychellois labourers who work on D’Arros Island to monitor the nesting beaches of D’Arros at the end of each day on a paid overtime basis. Once a week they go across to the more remote St Joseph Atoll and monitor nesting activity on the beaches there.

ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN 2014 During the year 2014, the ‘Turtle Team’ comprised the following Seychellois workers: 1. Michael Luc (conducted 317 track counts) 2. Nait-Flor Hettimer (conducted 184 track counts) 3. Ericson Rousseau (conducted 37 track counts) 4. George Jeremie (conducted 20 track counts) 5. Wills Labrosse (conducted four track counts) 6. Robin Rousseau (data compiler)

Figure 5 indicates the number of beach patrols (i.e. turtle track counts) conducted at each island in each month of 2014. An effort is made to monitor D’Arros Island daily and St Joseph, Banc Coco and Ressource islands weekly.

In 2014, D’Arros was surveyed on 298 days and St Joseph Atoll was visited 32 times. The ideal schedule was occasionally disrupted by factors that included bad weather, problems with boats and engines, illness and groups of people visiting the island. Nevertheless, data collection was consistent enough throughout the year for missing data to be extrapolated to give reliable estimates of the numbers of turtle tracks made and egg clutches laid by each of the two turtle species.

An overview of the raw track count data (prior to extrapolation) for each species at each island is given in Table 1.

GENERAL OUTPUTS OF THE PROGRAMME SO FAR In the process of monitoring, the part-time turtle workers developed a fondness for the living turtles and an appreciation of the need to protect them.

Because they had developed a sense of ownership of the turtle conservation programme, they refused to tolerate any poaching of turtles by members of their own community and poaching ceased. None of the workers involved with the project were trained scientists, so the programme has reached members of the Seychellois community who might not otherwise have become involved in conservation.

In addition, most of the monitors came to love the work so much that some have worked on the programme for up to seven years. Two of them, after leaving D’Arros, became full-time conservation rangers on other islands in the Seychelles.

The turtle monitoring programme initiated in 2004 at D’Arros and St Joseph was the first such study to be implemented anywhere in the Amirantes Group. Over the years it has gathered valuable data that document many aspects of the status and biology of the turtle populations. These include: 1. What species of sea turtles occur? Two species nest at D’Arros and St Joseph: hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata and green turtle Chelonia mydas. We also know that juveniles of both species forage in near-shore waters.

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35 D’Arros

St. Joseph

Banc Coco

Ressource

Number of beach patrols conducted

30

25

20

15

10

5

0 Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Figure 5: Number of tur tle track counts conducted at D’Arros and St Joseph in 2014.

Table 1: Number of hawksbill and green tur tle tracks and nests counted in 2014.

HAWKSBILL TURTLES GREEN TURTLES Tracks Nests Tracks Nests

D’Arros Island

668 310 255

141

St Joseph Atoll

174

105 484

341

Banc Coco

59

24 21

18

Ressource

85

39 1

0

478

500

TOTAL (Minimum) 986

761

Table 2: Estimated numbers of tur tles nesting at D’Arros and St Joseph annually

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HAWKSBILL TURTLES

GREEN TURTLES

D’ARROS ISL AND

~ 100

~ 25

ST JOSEPH ATOLL

~ 175

~ 135

TOTAL

~ 275

~ 160

Dec

In addition, the turtle workers found a dead juvenile loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta washed ashore, which increased the list of known turtle species inhabiting the waters of D’Arros and St Joseph.

2. How many turtles nest each year? Based on the data collected, we estimate that about 100 hawksbill and 25 green turtles nest annually on D’Arros Island and about 176 and 135 respectively on St Joseph (table 2).

D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll, considered together as a single site, host the largest nesting population of hawksbill turtles anywhere in the Seychelles.

This is important given that this species is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN (Mortimer and Donnelly 2008). The Seychelles as a whole hosts one of the four largest national populations of nesting hawksbills anywhere in the world.

3. Population trends The D’Arros and St Joseph turtle populations have been monitored since 2004 and for most of that time the number of turtles nesting from year to year has remained relatively constant. In recent years, however, the number has been growing, which is evidence that conservation efforts are producing increases in population size.

4. Nesting seasonality Hawksbill turtles throughout the Seychelles show a clear nesting season that peaks from mid-October to mid-January. The same seasonal pattern is evident at D’Arros and St Joseph. Green turtles are a different matter. The nesting seasonality of this species in the Western Indian Ocean has been documented as varying from one site to another with more northerly sites (near the equator) peaking in the austral winter and more southerly sites (away from the equator) peaking in the austral summer (Dalleau et al. 2012). One might expect all the green turtles nesting in the same island group (such as the Amirantes) to share the same pattern. To our great surprise, however, we found that green turtles nesting at D’Arros Island consistently show a different peak in activity (February to April; Mortimer et al. 2011) from those nesting at St Joseph Atoll (June to October; Mortimer et al. unpublished data) only two kilometres away.

The reasons for this difference remain a mystery, but may be related to water temperatures.

> Figure 6: Michael Luc and Nait-Flor Hettimer measuring a nesting hawksbill tur tle at D’Arros Island.

Figure 7: A juvenile green tur tle is released af ter capture.

5. Genetic characteristics Our monitoring programme has enabled us to collect genetic data from nesting hawksbill and green turtles. Although the genetic characteristics of hawksbill turtles appear to be relatively consistent at most nesting sites in the Seychelles (Phillips et al. 2014), we have found evidence that green turtles nesting in the Amirantes Group may be genetically distinct from those nesting in the Seychelles’ southern islands (Bourjea et al. in review).

The D’Arros and St Joseph site has been recognised as one of the most important and unique for sea turtles in the Western Indian Ocean, given the relatively high numbers of both hawksbill and green turtles sharing the same nesting beaches. There is much more to learn.

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3. GROWTH RATES AND POPUL ATION SIZE OF RESIDENT JUVENILE HAWKSBILL AND GREEN TURTLES AT D’ARROS ISL AND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF, RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

4. POPUL ATION STRUCTURE, RESIDENCY AND BEHAVIOUR OF REEF MANTAS ENCOUNTERED AROUND D’ARROS ISL AND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: SOSF–DRC STAFF, MANTA TRUST FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF, GUY STEVENS, RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of the population numbers, demographics, growth rates and movements of juvenile foraging turtles at D’Arros and St Joseph. Both hawksbill and green turtles recruit into the neritic environment when they attain approximately 35 centimetres in carapace length and will remain there for 10 or more years (Diez and Van Dam 2002).

Efforts to conserve foraging hawksbill populations are hindered by a lack of basic demographic and ecological information. Although the number of foraging population studies in the Atlantic Ocean is increasing, for the Western Indian Ocean fundamental data such as population demographics, habitat requirements, home range and movements of foraging hawksbill turtles are largely lacking.

D’Arros and St Joseph support a high density of juvenile foraging hawksbill and green turtles and provide a unique opportunity to study and monitor the populations of these endangered species. So far the study has focused more on hawksbills, even though they are less common in the area. The reason for this is that the species has suffered a global decline of more than 90% and is classified as Critically Endangered, albeit data deficient.

In 2014, 51 hawksbill and four green turtles were caught using predominantly the rodeo method, which entails leaping off the front of the boat and grasping turtles with your hands. This brings the total score of captures to 244 hawksbills and 34 greens since 2006. Several individuals have been recaptured on multiple occasions (as many as 10 times) and the maximum period between first and last captures is 10 years. We have learnt that hawksbill turtles at D’Arros and St Joseph grow extremely slowly – about one centimetre per year, which is significantly less than at other locations (between two and five centimetres is the norm). Since the density of foraging hawksbill turtles at D’Arros and St Joseph is one of the highest in the world, we suspect that this slow growth is a consequence of competition for food resources.

The SOSF–DRC undertakes regular surveys to establish the identity of mantas present around D’Arros Island. This information enables us to determine the population size and structure of mantas in our area and, to some extent, their residency and behaviour. We also use a stereo-video camera to measure mantas at cleaning stations in the hope of determining growth rates. In 2014 we conducted 16 boat surveys and 19 scuba-dive surveys at well-used cleaning stations and filmed 35 hours of remote underwater video footage at the same cleaning stations.

During surveys we document the underside of as many mantas as possible. The pattern of spots and stripes is unique to each manta, much like fingerprints in humans. The photographs are then entered into the identikit database to determine whether the individuals are new to the area.

To date, 100 individuals have been identified, which means that the Amirantes manta population is probably the biggest in the Seychelles. Of these, 57 are adults (29 females, 28 males), 40 are juveniles (13 females, 22 males, five unknown) and three are unknown. Although mating behaviour has been observed, mantas visit D’Arros and St Joseph predominantly to feed on near-shore plankton aggregations and to visit the cleaning stations. So far, 17 individuals have been measured with the stereo-video system, of which the largest was 3.61 metres across and the smallest 2.37 metres.

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5. WEATHER AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF In May 2014, the SOSF–DRC installed a new weather station (Davis Vantage Pro2) on D’Arros that, in addition to the usual variables (temperature, rainfall, humidity, barometric pressure and wind speed and direction), records solar and UV radiation, both of which may play a significant role in coral bleaching. Because the station was installed in May, we only report monthly data collected from June to December 2014.

Mean monthly temperatures were in concordance with previous annual averages. The coldest and hottest temperature recorded on D’Arros were 22.2 °C (20 August) and 31.9 °C (26 December) respectively.

The summer rains arrived late this year, resulting in an uncharacteristically dry period from June to October (Figure 9). The highest amount of rainfall received in one day was on 14 November (72.2 millimetres), the day on which the drought finally broke.

Wind speed and direction were normal throughout the study period, with the fresh south-easterly dominating until November (Figure 10). Maximum wind speed was recorded in July at 51.5 kilometres per hour.

Figure 8: SOSF–DRC lab manager Chris Boyes swims under a manta to photograph its underside.

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Mean monthly temperature (Degrees Celcius) June-December 2014

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B. TARGETED RESEARCH PROJECTS

Figure 11: PhD candidate Chantel Elston’s team catching a stingray in the St Joseph Atoll.

1. THE ECOLOGY OF STINGRAYS AT ST JOSEPH ATOLL, SEYCHELLES AUTHOR: CHANTEL ELSTON PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: SOSF–DRC, SAIAB FIELD PERSONNEL: CHANTEL ELSTON, SOSF–DRC STAFF, DR PAUL COWLEY, RESEARCH ASSISTANTS The amount of research into elasmobranch diversity, ecology and conservation has traditionally been low and many areas, such as the Indian Ocean, remain under-researched. There are three species of stingray that are ubiquitous and abundant at St Joseph Atoll: the cowtail ray Pastinachus sephen, the porcupine ray Urogymnus asperrimus and the mangrove whiptail Himantura granulata.

Over the past two decades, stingray numbers in the atoll appear to have declined significantly for unknown reasons (Von Brandis pers. comm., Mortimer pers. comm.), mimicking global population declines. In order to manage these populations of rays effectively, information pertaining to their diets and their movement patterns is required.

Working out the feeding ecology of these three species is vital to conservation efforts and to understanding the ecosystem of St Joseph Atoll as a whole.

Numerous references throughout scientific literature and in field guides state that mangrove, cowtail and porcupine rays eat bony fish and bottom-dwelling crustaceans (FishBase 2013), but detailed dietary analyses are lacking, with the exception of one study carried out in Australia on the porcupine ray (Vaudo and Heithaus 2011). Our objective is to determine key prey components in the diets of these rays and whether there is overlap between the species, indicating a high level of competition within the atoll.

In 2014 55 porcupine rays were caught by hand in the atoll and their stomach contents were collected by means of gastric lavage. Sediment samples were also collected to determine the composition of animals available as prey to these rays. We discovered that porcupine rays consume mostly annelid worms, but that small prawns and shrimps are also an important dietary item. From the sediment samples we determined that annelid worms are the most abundant prey source and as such are consumed with a moderate preference. Crustaceans were very rare in the sediment samples and we hypothesise that they are consumed with a very high preference. Further work will see the collection of stomach contents from mangrove and feathertail rays. We will also collect tissue samples for stable isotope analysis, which will provide insight into long-term shifts in the stingrays’ diets.

An understanding of movement behaviour is also vital to developing a management strategy for stingray populations. Observations of the stingrays at St Joseph Atoll reveal that they are present on the shallow sand flats at high tide, but they retreat to the cooler lagoon or reef slope habitats at low tide, when parts of the sand flats are exposed and temperatures increase. Apart from these observations, their habitat use and movements have not been studied.

By using acoustic telemetry we hope to learn what the stingrays’ main habitats are and whether the three species overlap spatially or occupy different habitats. We will also investigate whether their movements are affected by diet, tidal and seasonal influences, predation risks and competitive effects. Seventeen mangrove rays and 13 porcupine rays were surgically equipped with acoustic transmitter tags in March 2014. In partnership with Danah Divers, a group dedicated to diving for conservation, an extensive network of 90 acoustic receivers was already established within and around the atoll. The data from these receivers were downloaded at the end of 2014 and more than 200,000 pings were recorded from the two species. In-depth analysis of the data has yet to be performed.

Some of the acoustic tags that were placed in the larger individuals have a battery span that will run for the next two to five years, which will provide longterm data of their movement patterns. In 2015 we will tag three more mangrove rays, seven more porcupine rays and 20 feathertail rays (so that there are 20 of each species tagged). In addition, we will actively track smaller individuals to investigate movement patterns at a finer scale, as well as noting social interactions.

We hypothesise that the atoll is an important nursery for these rays and we hope to provide evidence for this.

Trying to protect these species is vitally important as the porcupine ray is listed as Vulnerable, the mangrove ray is listed as Near Threatened and the feathertail ray is listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN. The information gathered by this research project will not only help to devise a management plan for the stingray population of St Joseph, but contribute to understanding and conserving these species throughout their wide-ranging distributions.

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2. HABITAT AND RESOURCE PARTITIONING BY JUVENILE SHARKS AT ST JOSEPH ATOLL AUTHOR: ORNELL A WEIDELI PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: SOSF–DRC, CRIOBE FIELD PERSONNEL: ORNELLA WEIDELI, SOSF–DRC STAFF, RESEARCH ASSISTANTS Wherever species that are very alike ecologically and that have similar morphological traits and dietary preferences occur in the same place, it is expected that they will compete for habitat and dietary resources (Gause 1934). In order to avoid interfering with the other co-existing species, most animals show niche segregation either by using specific parts of their habitat or by foraging on different food resources (Brown and Wilson 1956). At St Joseph Atoll two very similar species, the blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus and the sicklefin lemon shark Negaprion acutidens co-occur and have been found to use this habitat as their nursery ground. Both species give birth to live pups, which stay among the shallow reef flats of the atoll for their first years of life, finding both protection and an abundance of food.

By applying multi-faceted study methods, this project aims to understand whether the coexistence of these very similar shark species is based on a successful segregation of their use of habitats and resources. Baseline catch data will be employed to assess these two juvenile shark populations with a view to their future conservation.

A general work-up is conducted on each juvenile shark caught. The shark is measured, weighed and fitted with a PIT tag, its fins are photographed to aid identification if it is recaptured, a small sample is taken from a fin for DNA analysis, and the environmental conditions of the location are recorded. To test whether they use different habitats and resources, some of these juvenile sharks are actively tracked in their nursery ground and their diet is investigated by means of stomach eversion, gastric lavage and the stable isotope analysis of blood, plasma and fin samples.

In the first sampling season, 148 sharks were caught in various locations at St Joseph Atoll. Nine of these sharks were caught twice and four were caught three times, suggesting a large population of juvenile sharks. Of the 148 sharks, 50 were lemon sharks and 98 were blacktip reef sharks; 73 were male and 75 were female. These preliminary results indicate a larger population of neonate blacktip sharks in the lagoon than lemon sharks, with a 1:1 sex ratio. Juvenile blacktip reef sharks ranged from 43.4 to 78 centimetres in total length, and juvenile lemon 63

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sharks from 56.6 to 82 centimetres (Figure 13). These size ranges are similar to those from Aldabra Atoll (Stevens 1984), which lies 1,000 kilometres distant from St Joseph. Two-thirds of the juveniles had an open umbilical scar, which indicates that they were born two to three weeks before being caught and therefore that the pupping season may fall at about this time of year. This would also coincide with the Aldabra pupping season (Stevens 1984).

Of the 148 sharks, 10 were actively tracked for between six and 8.5 hours each to get an initial idea of potential segregation in their use of habitat. At the same time, environmental parameters such as depth (every five minutes) and temperature (every minute) were recorded. The first tracks revealed some interesting new insights into how big the habitat range of an individual shark is and how its behaviour changes in different tidal and temperature conditions (Figure 14).

Due to unforeseen logistical and methodological problems, the planned sampling of stomach contents by means of eversion has been postponed until the next field-work season between March and May 2015, when gastric lavage will also be used.

For the upcoming year, two field-work seasons are planned. The first will take place from the beginning of March to the beginning of May and the second from mid-September to mid-November 2015. The aims of both sampling seasons is to catch more juvenile sharks, categorise specific habitats, apply more active tracks with additional environmental patterns, and collect more blood and stomach samples to investigate their diet and potential dietary partitioning.

TL (cm) Figure 13: Size distributions of juvenile Negaprion acutidens and Carcharhinus melanopterus from St Joseph Atoll. Juvenile N. acutidens var y bet ween 56.6 and 82 centimetres total length, with a mean of 64.4 centimetres. Open umbilical scars were found in neonates up to 73.3 centimetres, indicating considerable variance in size at bir th (approximately 17 centimetres dif ference). Juvenile C. melanopterus var y bet ween 43.4 and 78 centimetres total length, with a mean of 53.1 centimetres.

Open umbilical scars were found in neonates up to 55.9 centimetres, indicating a smaller range of sizes at birth (approximately 13 centimetres).

< Figure 14: Three active tracks recorded in December 2014. (A) A juvenile female lemon shark caught at high tide in a shallow protected area moves towards the lagoon at low tide (circle). (B) A juvenile male lemon shark caught at outgoing tide in a shallow area moves to a deeper area at low tide (circle). (C) A juvenile male lemon shark caught at outgoing tide showed rapid movement towards Chien Island. At the star t of low tide the shark moved shor ter distances in ver y shallow water (circle).

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Figure 12: Juvenile blacktip reef shark and sicklefin lemon shark captured at St Joseph Atoll (3).

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3. POST-NESTING MIGRATIONS OF THE HAWKSBILL TURTLES OF D’ARROS ISL AND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL, AMIRANTES BANK AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF, DR JEANNE MORTIMER Together, D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll host the largest number of nesting hawksbill turtles in the Seychelles, with an estimated 250–300 females nesting annually (Mortimer et al. 2011). Although significant resources have been allocated to protecting and studying these turtles while they nest at D’Arros and St Joseph, very little is known about their conservation status at the foraging grounds where they spend 85–95% of their adult lives. In fact, the location of these habitats is a mystery.

At present, satellite telemetry offers the only means of tracking longdistance movements of sea turtles. Satellite tracking of post-nesting hawksbills from beaches in the granitic islands has shown that, in most cases, the turtles migrate to offshore sites within the confines of the Seychelles Bank (<175 kilometres) (Mortimer and Balazs 2000). One turtle however, migrated to Madagascar (1,188 kilometres) (MCSS unpublished data).

The Amirantes Bank lies 200 kilometres south-west of the Seychelles Bank and is both smaller and more isolated. This raises the question whether female hawksbills nesting in the Amirantes show a similar tendency to use foraging grounds within the Seychelles territory, perhaps even within the confines of the Amirantes Bank, or whether they migrate further afield, perhaps as far as Madagascar (830 kilometres) or even the African mainland (1,500 kilometres).

Information about the location of foraging grounds and the routes taken to reach them are vital for informed protection of the species. Certain foraging grounds may be subject to offshore anthropogenic threats such as targeted fisheries or incidental capture as by-catch in fishing gear, as well as those related to shipping, pollution or seismic exploration and petroleum mining. The satellite tracking of seven post-nesting females from D’Arros and St Joseph – the most important breeding site in the Seychelles – should do much to improve our understanding of the life history of this critically endangered species and enhance its regional conservation status.

In the Seychelles, the hawksbill nesting season peaks from October to January (Mortimer et al. 2011), so we deployed the transmitters in January 2014 just before the females began their post-nesting migration. Although fewer nesting

turtles were around so late in the season, we managed to deploy all seven transmitters in eight days (15–22 January). To find these turtles we circumnavigated the D’Arros beach roughly four times per day. When a turtle was located we waited for her to finish nesting and then confined her inside a mobile wooden enclosure.

After the carapace was cleaned and prepared, a SPOT5 satellite tag (Wildlife Computers) was carefully epoxied to her back and after a minimum drying period of three hours, the turtle was released.

All seven turtles migrated to foraging grounds on the Seychelles Bank, 200 kilometres north-east of D’Arros and St Joseph (Figure 16). This is an encouraging result for hawksbill conservation in that the larger proportion of the sizable D’Arros and St Joseph nesting population appears to remain within the comparatively protected waters of the Seychelles. The Seychelles government and local NGOs have invested generously in the protection of turtles and their habitats and as a consequence the nation’s territorial waters can be considered one of the safest for turtles in the Western Indian Ocean (especially on the Seychelles Bank, where foreign vessels are not permitted to fish). It is reassuring to know that the majority of these turtles do not migrate to other countries where they may be afforded less protection and that they do not undertake lengthy open-ocean migrations through a treacherous latticework of long-lines and trawl nets.

In terms of their detailed movements, straight-line distance from D’Arros to foraging grounds ranged between 135 and 366 kilometres and it took turtles between 33 and 80 days to reach their foraging grounds (Table 3). It appears that turtles 2 and 3 lost their way, having travelled 1,416 and 1,156 kilometres respectively.

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Figure 16: Migrator y routes of seven nesting hawksbills tagged at D’Arros Island in Januar y 2014.

Table 3: Migration details for seven satellite-tagged nesting hawksbill tur tles from D’Arros Island, 2014.

Figure 15: A satellite-tagged hawksbill tur tle (tur tle 4) embarks on her voyage back to her foraging grounds on the Seychelles Bank af ter laying her final nest on the south-eastern beach of D’Arros Island.

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4. MOVEMENTS OF JUVENILE HAWKSBILL TURTLES AT D’ARROS ISL AND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF, RESEARCH ASSISTANTS D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll support a dense population of juvenile foraging hawksbill turtles (up to nine turtles per hectare) that range between 25 and 70 centimetres in length (Von Brandis et al. 2010). Hawksbill hatchlings disperse from nesting beaches via oceanic currents and remain on the pelagic sea surface until they recruit into neritic habitats – such as D’Arros and St Joseph – at a carapace length of 25–35 centimetres (Diez and Van Dam 2002). Juveniles and adults generally do not share foraging grounds (Blumenthal et al. 2009), so our foraging population comprises exclusively juveniles. In comparison to other juvenile foraging sites, the area is unique in that hawksbills are afforded a greater variety of foraging habitats. Predominantly three neritic foraging habitat types are utilised by the turtles: sea-grass beds on the outer reef flat (0–2 metres), mudflats on the inner reef flat (0–1 metre) and the deeper coral reefs (5–16 metres).

This project addresses recommendations arising from a recent PhD thesis titled ‘The Foraging Ecology of Hawksbill Turtles at D’Arros Island, Republic of Seychelles’. Further investigation is required to determine the detailed movement behaviour of these critically endangered turtles for three reasons: it improves local management capacity; there is little information globally about the in-water behaviour of juvenile hawksbills; and the results will confirm the importance of D’Arros and St Joseph for this species.

Coded acoustic transmitters have been deployed before on hawksbill turtles to elucidate home range and habitat use (e.g. Blumenthal et al. 2009).

However, because acoustic tags can only be attached externally, previous tag deployments have generally been short in duration (often not exceeding six months).

During trials conducted on 10 turtles at St Joseph Atoll in 2013, we devised a superior attachment method that has improved tag retention significantly. Indeed, after 18 months all these tags still appear to be attached.

Currently, 25 tags have been deployed on turtles captured at various locations around the islands within the three dominant foraging habitat types listed above. To date, data suggest a variety of foraging strategies and home ranges (Figure 17). Nevertheless, 21 of the 25 turtles maintain very small home ranges within specific foraging habitats. For instance, turtles 5, 12 and 18 (see Figure 17)

maintain small home ranges in the mudflats of the atoll, deeper coral reefs and the sea-grass beds respectively. Conversely, turtle 3 appears to make use of both the exterior and the interior of the lagoon, whereas turtle 23 makes more extensive use of the deeper reefs around the atoll. This turtle was last recorded at a receiver far out on the Amirantes Bank, 20 kilometres away from D’Arros. Similarly, turtle 16 was last recorded at a receiver near the eastern drop-off, five kilometres from the islands. The data suggest that these two turtles have left the islands in search of other foraging grounds. Given their small size (48- and 36-centimetre body length respectively), this is remarkable in that they appear to be embarking on developmental migration at a much earlier age than anticipated.

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Figure 17: Acoustic ping data of five juvenile hawksbill tur tles tagged at St Joseph Atoll.

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> Figure 18: A manta photographed from the sur face showing the ex ternal acoustic tag.

Figure 19: Forest rehabilitation sites on D’Arros Island.

5. SPATIO-TEMPORAL MOVEMENTS OF MANTA RAYS IN THE AMIRANTES AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: SOSF–DRC, MANTA TRUST FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF, GUY STEVENS, RESEARCH ASSISTANTS Reef mantas Manta alfredi of both sexes and all age groups occur yearround at D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll. Photo records of the undersides of mantas have been collected on an opportunistic basis since 2009 and show that no fewer than 100 individuals make use of the area. In 2012, a formal monitoring programme was implemented to study the population structure and general ecology of mantas in the area. However, the spatio-temporal movements of mantas encountered at D’Arros and St Joseph remain unknown. Although they appear to be most prevalent at D’Arros and St Joseph, mantas have also been encountered at other islands on the Amirantes Bank and along its drop-offs. It is thus possible that individual mantas range over the entire bank (and perhaps beyond), either randomly or, more likely, in response to certain environmental stimuli. In turn, a proportion of the population may show stronger site fidelity and thus remain within the protected realm of D’Arros and St Joseph for longer periods.

Although reef mantas are seldom targeted by fishermen in the Seychelles, an increasing international demand for gill plates and the imminent collapse of certain local fisheries raise concerns about the future. Classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, the reef manta is long-lived, produces few offspring and is poorly understood and easily exploited. Understanding its spatio-temporal distribution is crucial for implementing effective marine protected area boundaries and management strategies.

Since 2013, we have deployed 23 acoustic tags on reef mantas around D’Arros and St Joseph in order to exploit the Amirantes-wide receiver array co-managed by Danah Divers and SOSF–DRC. However, because the tags are attached externally, tag retention has been poor (average 168 days) and currently fewer than eight tags remain attached. Of the 17 mantas that retained their tags for more than 100 days, eight were resident at D’Arros for most of this time while the remaining nine moved between the southern Amirantes islands of Desneoufs, Marie-Louise and Boudeuse. The preliminary data suggest that more mantas frequent D’Arros and St Joseph than any other island in the Amirantes Group, lending further support to the formal protection of D’Arros and St Joseph. In 2015 this project will be coordinated by a PhD student who will investigate improved tag application procedures and analyse the acoustic data in greater detail.

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C. HABITAT RESTORATION 1. FOREST REHABILITATION AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF, RESEARCH ASSISTANTS Terrestrial ecosystems at D’Arros and St Joseph have suffered significantly at the hand of man. By the early 1800s native vegetation had been almost entirely replaced with coconut plantations and nearly all the mangroves had been cut down for timber. Fortunately, management intervention can significantly accelerate recovery in the terrestrial environment, in contrast to marine ecosystems. The D’Arros Research Centre currently manages an ambitious forest rehabilitation project in which abandoned coconut plantations are systematically replaced with indigenous forest.

In 2010, a series of experiments were initiated on D’Arros in which attempts were made to develop a simple, cost-effective and yet efficient technique of coconut forest rehabilitation (Von Brandis 2012). Although the primary aim of this research was to rehabilitate large sections of D’Arros, a secondary objective was to encourage the initiation of effective rehabilitation programmes on other affected islands. The resulting rehabilitation protocol was termed the ‘canopy rehabilitation method’ as it involved preserving the upper coconut canopy to provide a shaded environment on the forest floor. The benefits were threefold: improved survival and growth rates of planted native forest seedlings; reduced establishment of the herbaceous layer and other invasive plants; and enhanced natural regeneration of remnant native vegetation.

Once the native trees have formed a mid-level canopy of their own, the remaining coconut palms are gradually eliminated by injecting herbicide into their stems. Compared to clear-cutting, this method proves less labour-intensive, does not require the use of heavy machinery or expensive equipment, improves the survival and growth rates of planted tree seedlings, promotes the natural establishment of native plants and limits population explosions of alien invasive plants.

Consequently a strategy for a large-scale programme was devised and implemented in May 2010.

Today, more than 16 hectares are currently under rehabilitation on D’Arros Island (Figure 19), of which about half can be considered rehabilitated.

Average turnaround time from virgin coconut forest to self-sustaining broadleaved forest is just four years, giving testament to the efficiency of the canopy 73

rehabilitation method. The decision was made in 2014 to focus future rehabilitation efforts on the islands of St Joseph Atoll.

SOSF–DRC staff and visiting researchers have been making increasing use of the small outpost on St Joseph Island as an overnight location while working in the atoll. The outpost consists of derelict buildings from the coconut plantation era (the plantation was abandoned in the late 1970s), which house a rudimentary kitchen, toilet, shower, a rainwater catchment and two bedrooms. During 2014 we revamped these facilities considerably in an attempt to make them more habitable.

The roof, windows and doors were replaced, new beds were built, the kitchen and toilet were improved, the rainwater catchment was rebuilt, a barbecue fireplace was built and a generator and solar panels were installed. However, our first task was to establish a new rehabilitation site around the outpost in order to open the area up to the breeze.

During the next few years we plan to increase the size of the new rehabilitation site on St Joseph Island and establish a broad-leaved tree nursery near the outpost. We also plan to begin rehabilitation work on some of the smaller atoll islands.

Figure 20: Planted mangrove seedlings taking root in the shallow inter tidal regions of St Joseph Atoll.

2. MANGROVE REFORESTATION AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: SOSFâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSFâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;DRC STAFF, RESEARCH ASSISTANTS Mangroves are a vital component of healthy atoll ecosystems in that they significantly improve biodiversity and productivity. Specifically, they: 1. Provide nursery grounds for fish, rays, sharks, crabs and several invertebrates.

2. Provide leaf litter, a valuable food source for many animals.

3. Protect coastal environments from erosion.

4. Provide roosting and breeding habitat for several seabird species.

5. Provide suitable habitat for several fish, crab, mollusc and invertebrate species that would otherwise not be present in the atoll.

Although there is no historical record of the distribution and abundance of mangroves at St Joseph Atoll, they were almost certainly more abundant in the past. Mangroves were heavily exploited in Seychelles during the 1800s and 1900s for timber (the wood is resistant to termites). At one time more than 100 people lived on St Joseph Island and there is little doubt that mangroves were heavily depleted. Today only remnant stands of red mangrove Rhyzophora mucronata occur at Benjamin, Paul, Chien, Fouquet and St Joseph islands. Because these remnant stands are small (the largest is about 2,500 square metres), current forest expansion is slow.

Mangrove stands tend to gain momentum as they expand in size. Over time, increasing numbers of prop roots trap more silt and slow water flow, thus making conditions more suitable for saplings. In order to accelerate this expansion and create new stands in suitable areas, a mangrove reforestation programme was initiated in 2014. Through extensive trials we have designed a logistically feasible protocol that appears to be working well (Figure 20). Previous studies have shown that red mangroves can grow to more than two metres high in just seven years.

Once these trees begin to bear fruit, the reforestation process should show exponential growth.

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D. PUBLICATIONS

E. LITERATURE CITED

In 2014 the SOSF–DRC produced t wo scientific publications and one popular ar ticle, and presented one poster at a conference.

1. SOSF–DRC SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS AND DISSERTATIONS

Blumenthal JM, Austin TJ, Bell CDL, Bothwell JB, Broderick AC, Ebanks-Petrie G, Gibb JA, Luke KE, Olynik JR, Orr MF, Solomon JL, Godley BJ. 2009. Ecology of hawksbill tur tles Eretmochelys imbricata on a western Caribbean foraging ground. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 8(1): 1–10.

Ramos JA, Monticelli D, Engelhardt U, Von Brandis RG, Pedro P, Paiva V, Nar t y B. In review. Reproductive and foraging characteristics of Roseate Terns in t wo tropical colonies dif fering in local conditions.

Brown B, Suharsona. 1990. Damage and recover y of coral reefs af fected by El Niño-related seawater warming in the Thousand Islands, Indonesia. Coral Reefs 8: 163–170.

Von Brandis RG. In press. Diet composition of hawksbill tur tles in the Republic of Seychelles. Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science.

Brown WL, Wilson EO. 1956. Character displacement. Systematic Zoology 5: 49–64.

Phillips KP, Mor timer JA, Jolif fe KG, Jorgensen TH, Richardson DS. 2014. Molecular techniques reveal cr yptic life histor y and demographic processes of a critically endangered marine tur tle. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 455: 29–37.

2. SOSF–DRC CONFERENCE PRESENTATION Elston C, Cowley P, Von Brandis R. 2014. The trophic ecology of the porcupine ray in a remote Indian Ocean Atoll. South African Marine Sciences Symposium 2014. Poster presentation.

3. SOSF–DRC POPUL AR ARTICLE Elston C. 2014. The impor tance of the overlooked: the stor y of stingrays. Quest 10(2).

Dalleau M, Ciccione S, Mor timer JA, Garnier J, Benhamou S, Bourjea J. 2012. Nesting phenology of marine tur tles: insights from a regional comparative analysis on green tur tle (Chelonia mydas). PLOS ONE 7(10): e46920.

Diez CE, Van Dam RP. 2002. Habitat ef fect on hawksbill tur tle grow th rates on feeding grounds at Mona and Monito Islands, Puer to Rico.

Marine Ecology Progress Series 234: 301–309.

FishBase 2013. http://www.fishbase.org/search.php (accessed 10/09/2013).

Gause GF. 1934. The Struggle for Existence. Williams and Wilkins: Baltimore, USA. Mor timer JA. 2012. Seasonalit y of Green Tur tle (Chelonia mydas) reproduction at Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles (1980–2011) in the regional contex t of the Western Indian Ocean. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 11(2): 170–181.

Mor timer JA, Camille J-C, Boniface N. 2011. Seasonalit y and status of nesting hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green tur tles (Chelonia mydas) at D’Arros Island, Amirantes Group, Seychelles. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 10(1): 26–33.

Mor timer JA, Donnelly M. 2008. Marine Tur tle Specialist Group 2007 IUCN Red List Status Assessment Hawksbill Tur tle (Eretmochelys imbricata). http://www.iucn-mtsg.org/red_list/ei/index.shtml Mortimer JA, Balazs GH. 2000. Post-nesting migrations of Hawksbill Turtles in the Granitic Seychelles and implications for conser vation.

In: Proceedings of the 19th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Kalb H, Wibbels T (comps). NOA A Technical Memorandum NMFS–SEFSC 4 43: 22–26.

Obura DO. 2005. Resilience and climate change: lessons from coral reefs and bleaching in the Western Indian Ocean. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 63(2005): 353–372.

Phillips KP, Mor timer JA, Jolif fe KG, Jorgensen TH, Richardson DS. 2014. Molecular techniques reveal cr yptic life histor y and demographic processes of a critically endangered marine tur tle. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 455: 29–37.

Spencer T, Teleki K A, Bradshaw C, Spalding MD. 2000. Coral bleaching in the southern Seychelles during the 1997–1998 Indian Ocean warming event. Marine Pollution Bulletin 40: 569–86.

Stevens JD. 1984. Life-histor y and ecology of sharks at Aldabra Atoll, Indian Ocean. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London 79–106 (1984).

Vaudo JJ, Heithaus MR. 2011. Dietar y niche overlap in a nearshore elasmobranch mesopredator communit y. Marine Ecology Progress Series 425: 247–260.

Von Brandis RG. 2012. Rehabilitation of abandoned coconut plantations: temporar y maintenance of the upper coconut canopy provides significant benefits at D’Arros Island, Republic of Seychelles. Ocean and Coastal Management 69: 340–346.

Von Brandis RG, Mor timer JA, Reilly BK. 2010. In-water obser vations of the diving behaviour of immature hawksbill tur tles (Eretmochelys imbricata) on a coral reef at D’Arros Island, Republic of Seychelles. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 9(1): 26–32.

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WHO I AM After completing a degree in nature conservation in Pretoria, South Africa, I spent the first part of my career in the African bushveld, where I studied the movements of white rhinos, conducted anti-poaching patrols and guided on safaris. Several years later I took a temporary job as a botanical guide at Rocktail Bay on the northern coast of South Africa. During my first encounter with a nesting turtle on the beach, I was so inspired by these vulnerable creatures that I sensed a major fork in my career path. Soon I became hopelessly addicted to the ocean and spent all my spare time getting to know it.

After hastily completing my honours degree, I returned to Rocktail as a turtle researcher and stayed there for nearly two years. My persistent hunger for adventure eventually won me a four-month voluntary position at Aldabra, a remote, untouched coral atoll teeming with turtles and other marine life. I loved it so much out there that I ended up staying for five years, working as the chief scientific officer.

In 2006 I was offered an opportunity to conduct my PhD on the foraging ecology of the Critically Endangered hawksbill turtle at D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll in the Amirantes, a group of islands and atolls in the Seychelles. I spent the next five years following turtles around underwater and gaining an intimate understanding of the area and its surroundings.

In 2011 I completed my PhD and took up the position of scientific director of the D’Arros Research Centre.

WHERE I WORK The natural environment of D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll is among the most pristine and spectacular in the world. Scores of sharks, manta rays, turtles, stingrays and fishes inhabit the lagoon and the surrounding coral reefs, while flocks of seabirds roost in trees overlooking tranquil beaches. The D’Arros Research Centre, where we are based, is situated on the beach crest of D’Arros Island and overlooks the ocean. We often spot turtles, mantas, sharks and dolphins from our office! Just this morning, while we were preparing some research equipment, a hawksbill turtle emerged from the sea and nested right in front of the centre. As we watched it, a train of several manta rays passed by just 50 metres out to sea.

Although it’s the largest of the 17 islands that comprise the D’Arros and St Joseph chain, D’Arros is small enough that you can walk along its uninterrupted sandy beach and complete a circuit of the entire island in just two hours. About 30 people live here to maintain the infrastructure and conduct research, but all the remaining islands are uninhabited.

Daily activities from the centre are diverse and include regular scuba diving to monitor the coral

reefs and download remote sensors, travelling on the boat to collect ID photos of manta rays and walking the beaches to tag turtles. We usually have several researchers, students and volunteers working on various projects and thus we enjoy a productive and pleasant atmosphere on the island.

WHAT I DO Hawksbills are gentle, charismatic creatures whose global population has been decimated by more than 80% over the past century due to the demand for their shells (tortoiseshell actually comes from hawksbills). These Critically Endangered turtles spend most of their long adult lives at a particular foraging ground, where they maintain small home ranges and feed mostly on sponges. Every few years, however, females undertake epic oceanic migrations to nest on the same beaches that they themselves emerged from as hatchlings.

D’Arros and St Joseph are among the few places where the nesting population appears to be increasing because the private owners have protected the turtles since 1975. Indeed, ours is currently one of the biggest hawksbill rookeries in the Western Indian Ocean. Although significant resources have been allocated to protecting and studying these turtles while they nest at D’Arros and St Joseph, very little is 76

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MOVEMENTS OF JUVENILE HAWKSBILL TURTLES AT D’ARROS ISLAND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL, SEYCHELLES SOSF D’ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE 2014 D’ARROS ISLAND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL, SEYCHELLES R esearch H awksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata )

known about their conservation status at the foraging grounds where they spend 85–95% of their adult lives.

The reason is simple: the location of these habitats is still a mystery.

At present, satellite telemetry offers the only means to follow the long-distance movements of sea turtles. The tracking of post-nesting hawksbills from beaches of the granitic islands of the Seychelles Bank has shown that, in most cases, the turtles migrated to offshore sites within the confines of the same bank, less than 175 kilometres away. One turtle, however, migrated to Madagascar, covering a distance of 1,188 kilometres. The Amirantes Bank lies 200 kilometres south-west of the Seychelles Bank and is both smaller and more isolated. So, do female hawksbills nesting in the Amirantes show a similar tendency to use foraging grounds within Seychelles territory, perhaps even within the confines of the Amirantes Bank, or do they migrate further afield, perhaps as far as Madagascar (830 kilometres) or even the African mainland (1,500 kilometres)?

Information about the location of foraging grounds and the routes taken to reach them is vital for the effective protection of the species. At some foraging grounds the turtles may be the target of fisheries or be captured as by-catch in fishing gear, or they may face threats related to shipping, pollution or seismic

ex­ploration and petroleum mining. By tracking seven post-nesting females from D’Arros and St Joseph by satellite, we should learn much more about the life history of this Critically Endangered species and enhance its regional conservation status.

In the Seychelles, the hawksbill nesting season peaks between October and January, so we deployed the transmitters in January 2014 just before the females began their post-nesting migration. Although there were fewer nesting turtles around so late in the season, we managed to deploy all seven transmitters in eight days (15–22 January). To find these turtles, we circumnavigated the D’Arros beach roughly four times per day. Once we had located a turtle, we waited for her to finish nesting and then confined her inside a mobile wooden enclosure. We cleaned and prepared her carapace, then carefully glued a SPOT5 satellite tag (Wildlife Computers) to her back. After a minimum drying period of three hours, we released the turtle.

All seven turtles migrated to foraging grounds on the Seychelles Bank, 200 kilometres north-east of D’Arros and St Joseph. This is an encouraging result for hawksbill conservation because most of the sizable D’Arros and St Joseph nesting population appears to remain within the comparatively protected waters of the Seychelles. The government and local NGOs

have invested generously in the protection of turtles and their habitats, and the nation’s territorial waters can be considered one of the safest for turtles in the Western Indian Ocean (especially on the Seychelles Bank, where foreign vessels are not permitted to fish).

It is reassuring to know that the majority of these turtles do not migrate to other countries, where they are likely to find less protection, and that they do not undertake lengthy open-ocean migrations through a treacherous latticework of long-lines and trawl nets.

In terms of their detailed movements, the straight-line distance from D’Arros to the foraging grounds ranged between 135 and 366 kilometres and it took the turtles between 33 and 80 days to reach their destinations. Interestingly, it appears that two turtles lost their way and travelled 1,416 and 1,156 kilometres respectively!

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CHANTEL ELSTON

‘The support of Save Our Seas Foundation since 2009 has been vital for training local biologists who are now working towards conservation of the African manatee in 17 countries. Save Our Seas has also funded important African manatee survey, health, and genetics research that is determining where different populations of this rare species occur across the African continent for the first time. I’m extremely grateful to Save Our Seas for their enthusiasm and support of this project!’

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WHO I AM I’m one of those lucky people who have always known what I wanted to do in life. Even at the tender age of six, just as I was starting school, I knew I wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up.

I can’t even remember who first told me what a marine biologist does, but I’m sure whoever it was did so because my passion for the ocean has always been obvious.

Perhaps this obsession with the big blue developed from my dad’s love of sailing or from spending countless days at the beach all through my childhood while he volunteered for the National Sea Rescue Institute. My holidays were filled with exploring tidal pools, jumping from rock to rock and squinting into the shallow water in search of elusive starfish or sea anemones. My heart still skips a beat every time I see the shimmery blue surface of the ocean and even today one of my favourite pastimes involves peering into rocky crevices to find out what lurks beneath the waters.

After school I was fortunate enough to follow this passion by completing my undergraduate and honours studies in marine biology at the University of Cape Town and it was during these years that I was 81

able to refine my enthusiasm – the ocean contains a wealth of information and at some stage or other you have to choose which aspect you want to focus on. My interest in rays and skates was sparked in my second year when we were going through an ichthyology module. I will always remember the lecturer telling us that rays and skates were the least studied group of vertebrates at that time. This got my curiosity ticking and ever since then I’ve wanted to learn more about these charismatic creatures.

WHERE I WORK St Joseph Atoll is a beautiful gem that forms part of the Amirantes group of islands in the Seychelles.

Its remote location in the Indian Ocean and its status as a marine protected area make it relatively inaccessible to the public – a near-pristine ecosystem devoid of many of the anthropogenic effects that plague most marine ecosystems.

The turquoise blue coloration of the 6- to 8-metre-deep lagoon changes to the lighter blue of the much shallower sand flats that, at only 30 centimetres to 1 metre deep, teem with a diverse array of life.

Darting juvenile blacktip reef sharks, larger sicklefin

lemon sharks with their characteristic fins, dozy hawksbill turtles breaking the surface for a breath of air, the gently swaying ‘wings’ of stingrays, the stark contrast of white fairy tern against blue sky – they all add up to St Joseph Atoll, a wonder to behold.

The beauty of the atoll makes it a great location to work in, and the abundance of stingrays and the generally calm sea conditions add to its allure. It’s an ideal place to study these graceful creatures and how they live in this environment. Not only is the atoll an important and safe ‘home’ for the stingrays, but the stingrays are essential to its functioning.

We hope to have a better understanding of this relationship by the end of the project.

WHAT I DO I have come to realise that stingrays have been among the most overlooked and misunderstood species of the ocean. Much like sharks, they are perceived to be dangerous and should be avoided; unlike sharks, though, they have received very little scientific attention over the past couple of decades. Thankfully this situation is changing, as scientists begin to understand the importance of these animals in the

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ecosystem. I am ecstatic to be part of a rising tide of contributors to our knowledge about stingrays.

The cowtail stingray, the porcupine ray and the mangrove whipray are three species that you can’t avoid in St Joseph Atoll because there are so many of them. They are also species that the managers of the atoll know nothing about. Our project involves conducting a simple ecological survey of these stingrays within the atoll. Starting right at the beginning, we are currently collecting baseline information about them. Luckily, our field work is made possible by the presence on neighbouring D’Arros Island of a scientific research centre, which is funded by the Save Our Seas Foundation.

Traditionally, the scientific community has killed stingrays in order to collect the information needed. While this is sometimes necessary, we have made the decision to research and develop non-lethal methods to collect our data for this project, even though it is a bit more risky (a threatened stingray will try to jab you with its stinger!). This change in mindset from lethal to non-lethal methods is particularly important for stingrays because their slow growth, maturity and reproductive rates make them especially 83

vulnerable to population declines. With this in mind, we trek across the shallow sand flats of the atoll to locate and catch the stingrays and then immobilise them by turning them upside down (while avoiding the barbed stingers on their tails!). We then pump their stomachs with sea water, forcing them to regurgitate their food, which enables us to determine what they eat. Finally, we surgically implant acoustic trackers into their abdomens so that we can follow their movements.

The information we collect will be vital to our understanding not only of the stingrays, but also how the entire atoll functions. Adding to the importance of the project is the fact that this knowledge can then be applied internationally, as the stingrays have wide-ranging distributions that span ocean basins.

THE ECOLOGY OF STINGRAYS IN THE ST JOSEPH ATOLL, SEYCHELLES SOSF D’ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE 2014 ST JOSEPH ATOLL, SEYCHELLES R esearch M angrove stingr ay (H imantura granulata) C ow tail stingr ay (Pastinachus sephen ) P orcupine stingr ay (U rogymnus asperrimus )

JEANNE MORTIMER

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‘We are grateful for the support provided by the Save Our Seas Foundation that has breathed new life into the Turtle Action Group of Seychelles and is enabling it to move forward in a synergistic fashion with the projects we have planned.’

WHO I AM Ever since I was a little girl I knew I wanted to be a scientist – but I didn’t know what kind. What I did know was that I loved animals, especially ‘cold’ animals – reptiles, amphibians and insects – and that I loved the outdoors. I grew up in the big city of Chicago in the USA, but from the age of six to 20 I spent all my summers at my family’s fishing lodge in the lakes region of north-western Ontario in Canada. There I worked as a waitress, a fishing guide and a house painter and in my free time I explored the wildlife of the marshes, lakes and forests. But it was the warmer realms of our planet that particularly attracted me, and in the end I decided to attend postgraduate school in Florida because it was located relatively close to the American tropics.

I had grown up fascinated by accounts of the adventures of naturalists who travelled to the tropical regions of the world and explored wildlife and people there – Raymond Ditmars, Osa and Martin Johnson, George Schaller, Archie Carr, Gerald Durrell, Jane Goodall and Louis Leakey were just a few of my favourites. So in 1973 I decided to join their ranks before starting my postgraduate studies. I bought an air ticket and spent three months travelling on my own and exploring the diverse ecosystems of Costa Rica 85

in Central America, from the hot and humid lowland rainforests of the Osa Peninsula to the chilly heights of Cerro de la Muerte.

At that time Costa Rica still had 80% of its original forest cover, its ecosystems were intact and it harboured an abundance and diversity of frogs (whose populations are now much reduced). During my third month in the country I worked as a full member of Dr Archie Carr’s sea turtle tagging team at Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast. Later I learned that I’d made history as the first female to do so. In those days North Americans rarely visited Central America; in the summer of 1973 I was one of only about 15 visitors to Tortuguero. Nowadays some 50,000 tourists go there each year to watch nesting sea turtles.

Dr Carr, who was regarded as the ‘father of sea turtle biology’ and was professor emeritus at the University of Florida where I would soon begin my postgraduate studies, was on site during my first visit to Tortuguero and we developed an excellent rapport. I felt privileged just to make his acquaintance, so it didn’t occur to me at the time that he would later serve as the chair of the supervisory committees for my MSc and PhD degrees. After all, he’d made it clear

that he was not taking any new graduate students, having launched his last PhD student in 1969. Nevertheless, I was his student and research collaborator from 1973 until his death in 1987.

Under Dr Carr’s supervision I studied the feeding ecology of green turtles on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua for my MSc and the nesting ecology of the same species at Ascension Island in the South Atlantic for my PhD. And it was he who provided the recommendation I needed to secure my first full-time job after earning my PhD in 1981: a threeyear contract in the Republic of Seychelles to do a study of the status and management of the sea turtle populations of this vast island nation.

WHERE I WORK Although I have worked with sea turtles in some 20 countries on six continents and visited more countries in other capacities since that time, the Republic of Seychelles has remained for me the most interesting of all my postings. This is because of its sea turtle populations with their fascinating nesting and foraging ecology, its wonderful people and its government’s support for biodiversity conservation. I find the Seychelles so interesting, in fact, that I have acquired

TURTLE ACTION GROUP OF SEYCHELLES (TAGS): GROUP REVIVAL AND WEBSITE PRODUCTION TURTLE ACTION GROUP OF SEYCHELLES 2014 SEYCHELLES C onservation H awksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) G reen turtles (C helonia mydas )

dual USA and Seychellois citizenship and made the country my home for most of the past two decades.

The Seychelles comprises some 130 islands spread over an area of about 144,000 square kilometres and divided roughly into three groups: the granitic and mountainous Inner Islands where almost all the human population lives; the sandy cay Outer Islands (including the Amirantes), most of which are located between 200 and 400 kilometres from the main island of Mahé; and the remote upraised limestone islands in the south, which lie between 700 and 1,100 kilometres from Mahé.

WHAT I DO As well as studying sea turtles and giant tortoises, my work here entails promoting the conservation of the turtles and their habitats. It soon became apparent that among the most effective turtle conservation tools were our long-term monitoring programmes because whenever such a programme was established, the poaching of turtles immediately declined. In this way the programmes have provided three benefits: they gather valuable scientific data about turtles; they engage members of the local communities in monitoring turtles; and they are de facto anti-poaching patrols.

When I first arrived in the Seychelles in January 1981, nesting sea turtles were being monitored at three sites in the Inner Islands: Cousin Island since 1970, Aride Island since 1976 and Curieuse Island since November 1980. I standardised the monitoring protocols for these sites and set up new long-term monitoring projects at Ste Anne Marine Park in the Inner Islands and at the remote Aldabra Atoll. The programmes are still in operation at all five sites. In 1992, a turtle monitoring project was initiated at Cousine Island (adjacent to Cousin) and the island began to be managed as a nature reserve.

Finally, in 1994, the Seychelles government passed legislation protecting all sea turtles from slaughter, sale or disturbance. The following year I returned to the country to work as a special consultant to the government to promote sea turtle and tortoise conservation. Between 1995 and 1998 we set up longterm turtle monitoring projects in the Inner Islands: on the beaches of southern Mahé, on Bird Island, on the beaches of north-western Praslin near the Lémuria Hotel, at North Island and at Silhouette Island. All these programmes are still under way.

In 2004 we began to implement intensive long-term monitoring programmes in the Outer

Islands. The first of these, in 2004, was the D’Arros and St Joseph project in the Amirantes group. This was followed by turtle programmes at Alphonse Island and St Francois Atoll in 2006 and at Desroches Island in 2009. In 2014 a new turtle monitoring programme was established at Farquhar Atoll, and more Outer Island programmes are in the planning stages.

With so many monitoring programmes operating, there was clearly a need to bring the various participants together to share their experiences and the data they collect, and we have been discussing how best to do this since before 2008. In 2008 the stakeholders in the turtle monitoring programmes legally registered an association, which we named the Turtle Action Group of Seychelles (TAGS). The group was dormant for several years, but in 2014 we received funding from the Save Our Seas Foundation to revive it and establish a website. We are currently in the process of fulfilling these goals, and have a number of plans for other exciting activities in the pipeline.

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ORNELLA WEIDELI

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WHO I AM While a humpback whale and her calf surface for air, majestic killer whales chase their prey, a pod of dolphins plays in front of a stunning sunset and several shark fins mysteriously break the surface of the waves.

No, this is not a gaudy daydream, but an image of the ocean my young self created while growing up in landlocked Switzerland. Countless drawings like this from my childhood depict my early fascination for marine life, especially the large mammals. Years later, I am a doctoral student working passionately with sharks and I wonder why only their fins appeared in my paintings. Were sharks too difficult for a nineyear-old to draw? Or did I leave them hidden on purpose, so I could discover these amazing creatures at a later stage in my life?

Fourteen years later and having completed a BSc degree, in October 2009 I found myself snorkelling in the crystal-clear turquoise waters of the Bahamas within a group of Caribbean reef sharks while the famous Dr Samuel ‘Doc’ Gruber watched from a nearby boat. Yes, I am at the world-renowned Bimini Biological Field Station (also known as the Shark Lab) and yes, living there was the turning point in my life! After a two-month internship at the Shark Lab, I returned 89

to Switzerland and cancelled my enrolment in a cell biology MSc programme and a project at a laboratory for infectious diseases. I moved out of my apartment, focused on a graduate programme in animal biology and purchased a plane ticket back to Bimini.

On my return to the Bimini Biological Field Station in early 2011, I dedicated my time to my research project, in which I examined the diet of juvenile lemon sharks and the effects of anthropogenic habitat destruction on their diet. Through the application of stomach eversions (a non-invasive method in which the stomach of an unconscious shark is gently pulled out of its mouth) I was able to determine what the juveniles had been eating. While most people would be disgusted by smelly, half-digested fishes and crabs, my interest in sharks, especially juvenile sharks, became even more intense.

During my seven-month tenure at the Shark Lab I acquired in-depth knowledge of the biology and ecology of sharks by also assisting with several other projects. In most cases the information came from the highly experienced Shark Lab members right there in the field, but I would extend and deepen what I learned from them by studying books and papers back on shore. From the practical perspective, there was much

else that I learned about capturing and studying sharks, such as how to track juvenile lemon sharks acoustically in their shallow, mangrove-fringed nurseries; how to check long-lines throughout the night; how to catch large tiger sharks from the depths of the Gulf Stream; and how the endless scraping of fish carcasses can eventually attract hammerhead sharks. I absorbed every bit of information available. And whenever a Bahamian day ended and we were returning to the Shark Lab after a long, arduous day in the field, I would watch the setting sun. I realised how happy and fulfilled I was and decided that I would pursue my passion and become a marine biologist.

WHERE I WORK As studying sharks requires extensive knowledge, special techniques and unique skills, it’s challenging and highly competitive to find a PhD position in shark research. It took various shark-related work experiences in Florida, the Seychelles and French Polynesia, successful graduation from university, participation at international conferences and continuous networking before I was finally granted the opportunity of a lifetime: I am now a PhD candidate investigating the ecology of juvenile blacktip reef sharks

Carcharhinus melanopterus and sicklefin lemon sharks Negaprion acutidens, which co-occur at a remote nursery atoll in the Seychelles. St Joseph Atoll, which is part of the Amirante Islands of the Republic of Seychelles, is home to the newly established SOSF D’Arros Research Centre to which my study is affiliated. This project is perfect because it fulfils my aspirations as a research scientist and at the same time offers me the opportunity to participate in the field study of my favourite animals.

WHAT I DO Wherever ecologically similar species co-exist in a habitat, interspecific competition can be avoided if the natural resources are partitioned between the species. As blacktip reef and sicklefin lemon sharks in other locations show overlaps in their use of nursery habitat, their diet and their reproductive cycles, we expect to find potential competition patterns at St Joseph Atoll. The main objective of my study is to ascertain how the juveniles of the two shark species are able to co-exist in a small and resource-restricted habitat. By looking at where and when they use their habitat and at their preferred diet, I will unveil the strategies of each species that enable them to occur together in one habitat.

While scientific data about the blacktip reef shark are available from several locations, data about the sicklefin lemon shark are very rare. The sicklefin lemon shark is assessed as globally Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, is locally extinct in India and Thailand and is endangered in South-East Asia. Therefore, the published results of my study will on one hand contribute valuable scientific knowledge, and on the other hand will improve and promote the conservation of this data-deficient shark species.

HABITAT AND RESOURCE PARTITIONING OF JUVENILE SHARKS AND THEIR ROLES IN REMOTE COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS SOSF D’ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE | CRIOBE | EPHE 2014 D’ARROS ISLAND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL, SEYCHELLES R esearch B l ack tip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus ) S icklefin lemon shark (N egaprion acutidens )

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SOSF D’ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE | D’ARROS ISL AND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL | AMIR ANTES | SEYCHELLES VON BR ANDIS R AINER | SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR After completing a degree in nature conservation in Pretoria, South Africa, Rainer spent the first part of his career in the African bushveld, where he studied white rhino movements, conducted anti-poaching patrols and guided safaris. Several years later he took a temporary job as a botanical guide at Rocktail Bay on the northern coast of South Africa. During his first encounter with a nesting turtle on the beach, he was so inspired by these vulnerable creatures that he sensed a major fork in his career path.

He soon became hopelessly addicted to the ocean and spent all his spare time getting to know it. After hastily completing his honours degree, he returned to Rocktail as a turtle researcher and stayed there for nearly two years.

Rainer’s persistent hunger for adventure eventually led him to a four-month voluntary position at Aldabra, a remote, untouched coral atoll teeming with turtles and other marine life. He loved it so much out there that he ended up staying for five years, employed as the chief scientific officer. In 2006 he was offered an opportunity to conduct his PhD on the foraging ecology of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle at D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll in the Amirantes group of the Seychelles. He spent the next five years following turtles around underwater and gaining an intimate understanding of the area and its surroundings. Having completed his PhD in 2011, he took up the position of scientific director of the D’Arros Research Centre.

BOYES CHRISTOPHER AL AN | L AB MANAGER For Chris Boyes, being the lab manager at the research centre on D’Arros Island in the Seychelles means that he is the fulltime person on the ground who maintains a world-class facility for research and education. At the same time, he manages the longterm studies and rehabilitation projects on and around the island and neighbouring St Joseph’s Atoll.

Since gaining a BSc in forestry (nature conservation) from the University of Stellenbosch in 2004, Chris has worked on many diverse research projects, from nesting sea turtles in Costa Rica and Maputaland, South Africa, to wetland birds in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. He specialises in working with nesting sea turtles and is currently completing his MSc thesis on leatherback sea turtles in Maputaland with the University of Stellenbosch.

SOSF STAFF

SOSF team at the annual meeting of the scientific advisors in October 2014 in Grey ton, South Africa (from lef t to right): Sarah Fowler, Guy Stevens, Thomas Peschak, Nadia Bruyndonck x and Michael Scholl.

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SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2015

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THE FOUNDER | SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION

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CEOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE

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In 2015, we at the Save Our Seas Foundation not only continued to develop support for our Keystone and Small Grant projects around the world, our four centres and our five long-term partners, but also expanded our capacity to communicate via all available channels. We understand the value of maintaining a balance between funding experienced researchers and conservationists with our Keystone Grants on the one hand and, on the other, investing in the next generation through our Small Grants that are aimed at early-career professionals.

We published two new issues of our flagship Save Our Seas magazine, which featured, among other articles, the reef fishes in False Bay and solutions to human–shark interaction there; a discussion of how conservation and research strategies need to be re-evaluated and adjusted; the magical and unique ecosystem of the Great Bear Rainforest and Sea; the mysterious world of jellyfish; and how shark populations are affected by urbanisation. In October we also initiated the delivery of the magazine in a web edition to give our readers a more dynamic and interactive experience and enable them to enjoy the magazine in print, digital and web formats.

Chris Lowe, president of the American Elasmobranch Society, wrote one of the magazine’s pivotal articles, ‘Good science and recognising recoveries’. In it, he encourages us to rethink current conservation strategies from combined research, political and communication points of view: ‘Good science should be what dictates policy, irrespective of the implications and conservation mantra, and we should be very wary of the “the sky-is-falling” science business model. Right now we need more scientists looking for signs of recovery because that is what we should expect if all our previous efforts have been working. And if we don’t see recovery, then we need to think seriously about developing new strategies.’

Our main website as well as our centre portals were launched in September, presenting our projects and project leaders in a new web environment to give our viewers a more versatile and user-friendly experience. The emphasis has always been on the people who lead the projects that we support, and communicating their results and life experiences to a wider audience remains paramount to the Foundation’s ideology. Changes in attitude run parallel with understanding, and understanding originates from knowledge. And the driving force behind the Foundation and its project leaders is passion.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of one of our partners, the Bimini Biological Field Station (which is better known to shark scientists as the Shark Lab and was founded by shark research pioneer Dr Samuel H. Gruber in 1990), we published 101

Shark Doc, Shark Lab, written by Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch. Describing how passion-driven dedication can triumph, this book demonstrates the importance of long-term studies that encompass not just a single species, but the ecosystem in which that species – and others – thrive. The book appeals to a wide audience and is testament to how perseverance and commitment can make dreams come true – a philosophy dear to the heart of our Founder.

To strengthen our cornerstone role as a leader in elasmobranch research and conservation strategy, we welcomed a new scientific adviser in the person of Dr Dean Grubbs, associate director of research at Florida State University’s Coastal and Marine Laboratory. Dean brings his scientific expertise to our team of advisers, complementing Sarah Fowler’s proficiency in conservation strategy and Thomas Peschak’s communication skills.

Over the years, we have noticed that trends are constantly changing and evolving, as reflected in the proposals we review. There were stable isotopes in 2013 and BRUVs (Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations) in 2014. Now there are drones, a technology that until very recently was prohibitively expensive and accessible only to the military, but is now available to anyone. The Save Our Seas Foundation has supported several projects that investigated the implementation of drones for population studies and surveys of marine species (such as reef sharks in French Polynesia, coastal shark species in the Bahamas and southern right whales in South Africa) and we used this same technology to create a very high resolution map of St Joseph Atoll in the Seychelles, which is the principal study area of the SOSF D’Arros Research Centre. This map, highlighted alongside a feature article in National Geographic about restoration efforts in the Seychelles, will serve for many years to come as a reference map with a level of detail impossible to achieve through more traditional methods, such as satellite imagery.

Remaining true to the nature of the Foundation since its inception in 2003, and inspired by our Founder’s passion, in 2015 we continued to support research, conservation and education projects on charismatic marine megafauna worldwide, with a significant emphasis on endangered elasmobranchs.

This support ranged from our primary role as a funder to helping projects and events from a logistical perspective and endorsing more effective and far-reaching communication to the public. The passionate synergy between our team and our project leaders has enabled the Foundation to grow further and mature, as well as act as a leader in elasmobranch science and conservation.

Michael Scholl | Chief Executive Officer

SOSF Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE RAINER VON BRANDIS

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ince the Save Our Seas Foundation began managing the Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arros Research Centre in 2013, the centre has grown significantly, both in its ability to conduct research and in its project portfolio. Our projects fall into three categories: long-term monitoring, targeted research and ecosystem rehabilitation.

We have continued to collect data for all the long-term monitoring programmes at Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll. Nesting turtle numbers are still increasing steadily and hard corals are making a strong recovery following the severe bleaching event in 1998 that decimated corals in the region. Fortunately, in 2015 the sea temperature remained below the coral bleaching threshold. So far our manta and turtle identikits include 110 mantas, 297 resident hawksbill turtles and 67 green turtles. Capture-mark-recapture models suggest that the manta population in the Amirantes island group exceeds 150 animals and that more than 600 hawksbill and 2,000 green turtles reside at Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arros and St Joseph.

Our current targeted research projects investigate the ecology of sharks, mantas, turtles, stingrays and fish, and they all have a tracking component that utilises state-of-the-art technology. Acoustic tags have been fitted to 30 stingrays, 15 turtles and 30 bonefish; 84 turtles have been flipper-tagged; 277 juvenile sharks have been PIT-tagged; and three juvenile sharks have been tracked in the atoll using GPS tags. In addition, the diets and trophic ecology of many stingrays, juvenile sharks and bonefish have been investigated by means of lavage and stable isotope analysis. Although still in their early stages, each of these projects is already producing exciting and novel results and the prospects for high-quality scientific publication are good.

Forest rehabilitation efforts have focused on St Joseph Island, where we have cleared more than 2.5 hectares (six acres) of abandoned coconut forest. Our mangrove reforestation programme is making steady progress as a result of improvements to our planting methodology and the rapid growth of established trees.

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A. LONG-TERM MONITORING PROGRAMMES

> A healthy coral reef at D’Arros Island.

Some coral reefs have recovered to the state they were in before the 1998 bleaching event.

1. CORAL REEFS AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF It is important to monitor the coral reef surrounding D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll so that we can measure its response to natural or man-made disturbances over long periods of time. For us as humans, the perception of change tends to be limited to our own lifetimes. Consider for instance a retired fisherman who as a child caught at least 10 times more fish in a day than he does now. In his eyes, fish stocks were healthy or even plentiful ‘back in the day’ when he was a youngster. However, his deceased grandfather probably caught 20 times more fish in his day – and his forefathers even more. Thus, the fisherman’s perception of what is meant by ‘healthy’ fish stocks is undoubtedly incorrect. This tendency to apply inappropriate baselines to assess environmental health has been termed ‘the shifting baseline syndrome’ (Pauly, 1995) and is probably one of the most significant contributors to our global environmental problems. Not only does our coral reef monitoring programme alleviate the effects of this syndrome, but it also measures the rate of potential change and suggests its probable causes.

The Save Our Seas Foundation–D’Arros Research Centre (SOSF-DRC) operates a number of complementary projects to monitor the coral reef ecosystem at various locations around D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll. Individual facets of the programme as a whole are: sea surface temperature and sea level; benthic cover and composition; coral recruitment; coral growth and survivorship; coral bleaching; and reef fishes. These variables are monitored at 11 survey sites on an annual basis. 2016 marks the fifth year of consistent monitoring, making it the longest uninterrupted, multifaceted coral reef monitoring programme in the Outer Islands of the Seychelles.

AMBIENT ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS Anomalies in water temperature can have profound effects on coral reef ecosystems. In 1998, more than 70% of hard corals in the Seychelles region perished due to uncharacteristically extreme warming of the sea. Given today’s changing climate and recent coral bleaching events, it is of utmost importance to monitor sea temperature and to integrate this data into coral health surveys. This will help us to predict the severity of potential bleaching events before they occur

and estimate the corals’ recovery and mortality rates. The data will also add to our global understanding of the effects of climate change on our environment and help to raise awareness. The SOSF-DRC has been permanently monitoring the sea temperature at 20 coral reef sites around the islands since 2011.

Sea surface temperatures during 2015 followed the usual annual pattern (figure 1). Fortunately the typical temperature spike in April and May was less pronounced than in the previous year and thus no coral bleaching was observed.

BENTHIC COVER AND COMPOSITION Significant changes in the cover and composition of benthic communities may occur as a result of climate change, overfishing, pollution or physical damage. Nearly all marine organisms within the realm of D’Arros and St Joseph depend on the coral reef to some extent, so trends in its cover and composition represent major indicators of the present and future status of surrounding marine ecosystems.

The 2015 photoquadrat survey generated 26,400 random points that were identified and categorised using Coral Point Count software. Major categories were: bare ground (49.8%); hard corals (28.3%); coral algae (12.5%); sand (4.4%); sessile invertebrates (1.8%); soft corals (1.5%); macro algae (1.5%); and mobile invertebrates (0.1%).

Although coral recovery was slow in the first decade following the devastating 1998 bleaching event, recent years have seen a steady increase in coral cover (figure 2) and several areas have regained their pre-1998 glory. Because the rate of coral recruitment has more than doubled in the past few years, we can expect coral cover to improve at an ever-increasing rate until there is no more room on the reef substrate (as long as there is not another severe bleaching event).

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Figure 1: Sea sur face temperature at one of 20 sites around Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arros and St Joseph over the past four years.

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Figure 2: Benthic composition at Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arros and St Joseph over the past four years.

Note the steady increase in hard corals.

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RECRUITMENT OF POCILLOPORA AND ACROPORA CORALS Acroporidae and Pocilloporidae are dominant coral families at D’Arros and St Joseph that are highly susceptible to coral bleaching. The severe sea warming event in 1998 resulted in the death of most of the corals in both families. Since then, they appear to have been recovering steadily in numbers. This monitoring programme quantifies the recruitment rates of these corals and investigates sizespecific survival and mortality rates in concert with prevailing climatic conditions.

When all 11 sites are considered collectively, the number of Acropora and Pocillopora recruits per unit area has more than doubled and tripled respectively over the past four years. Consequently, we can expect these two coral families to become increasingly prominent on the reef in the years ahead.

GROWTH AND SURVIVORSHIP OF POCILLOPORIDAE AND ACROPORIDAE CORALS An investigation into the growth rate and survivorship of these two prominent coral families at D’Arros and St Joseph is important for developing a better understanding of coral reef ecology. How fast do these corals grow, what is their lifespan and what causes their mortality? Previous studies of coral growth have occurred over a relatively short term and usually involved destructive methods.

Easy access to coral recruits will enable us to collect morphometric measurements of individually tagged corals over several years so that we can assess long-term growth and survivorship curves.

In 2013 50 recruits of each species were tagged along the north-facing reef crest of D’Arros Island. Three years later nearly half the corals of both species have perished, mostly as a result of mechanical damage caused by storms, fish and turtles. Some mortality also occurred during the minor bleaching event in 2014.

Growth rates varied considerably between individuals. Generally, acroporids grew at least twice as fast as pocilloporids did. Acropora table coral recruits (less than five centimetres, or two inches) are capable of producing a diameter of 32 centimetres (12 inches) in just three years.

CORAL BLEACHING We conduct broad- and fine-scale surveys in years when bleaching occurs.

During periods when the sea water is abnormally warm, symbiotic algae that live in the coral skeleton are expelled, resulting eventually in the death of the corals.

Fortunately, water temperature did not exceed the critical threshold in 2015 and no bleaching was observed.

REEF FISHES AND MOBILE INVERTEBRATES Changes in reef fish and invertebrate communities may occur as a result of fishing practices, climate change and changes in benthic composition and cover. Some fishes (such as coral-eating species) and invertebrates are considered indicators of reef health, whereas population explosions of some invertebrates (such as crown of thorns and Drupella snails) cause damage to coral communities.

Although fish diversity has changed little over the past five years, general fish abundance has increased by 70%. This is mostly in response to the recovering coral reef and changes in local fishing practices. Fish families that have shown the most notable increases are damselfishes (Pomacentridae), butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae), parrotfishes (Scaridae) and groupers (Serranidae). Blacktip reef sharks have also become a common sight on the reef. The numbers of mobile invertebrates have remained mostly unchanged. An outbreak of crown of thorns starfish was noted along a portion of reef in the south of St Joseph. However, when it was visited again a few weeks later the situation had normalised.

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< Acropora corals have shown a high recruitment rate at Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arros Island.

Over the past five years, blacktip reef sharks have become common on the shallow reefs of Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll.

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> The current nesting tur tle monitoring team measuring a tur tle track: Gerard, George and Ralph.

2. COMMUNIT Y MONITORING OF NESTING SEA TURTLES AUTHOR: DR JEANNE MORTIMER PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: DR JEANNE MORTIMER FIELD PERSONNEL: CHELONIA STAFF, DR JEANNE MORTIMER PROGRAMME BACKGROUND Sea turtles have long been of economic importance to the people of Seychelles.

Historically they were killed to extract products for export. Calipee from green turtles was used in Europe to make turtle soup, and the scales covering the shell of hawksbill turtles were removed to produce ‘tortoise shell’, a semi-precious material originally exported to Europe and later (between 1960 and 1992) to Japan.

In addition, turtle meat has always featured prominently in traditional Seychelles cuisine.

In 1994 the Seychelles government passed a law (Wild Animals [Turtles] Protection Regulations) that offered complete legal protection to all sea turtles and their eggs. The export trade ceased, but some human customs and habits die hard and many Seychellois, especially among the more traditional population in the Outer Islands, retained a taste for turtle meat.

There was a need to get people to see turtles in a different light and one of the best ways to do that is to encourage coastal people to take ownership of conservation programmes involving sea turtles. The D’Arros Research Centre achieved this by enlisting Seychellois labourers who work on D’Arros Island during the day to monitor the nesting beaches of D’Arros at the end of their work day and paying them overtime to do so. Once a week the workers go across to the more remote St Joseph Atoll and monitor nesting activity on the beaches there.

OUTPUTS OF THE PROGRAMME The monitoring programme has three principal elements, conservation, social and scientific, and benefits can be seen in respect of each one. In terms of conservation, the part-time turtle workers develop a fondness for the living turtles, an appreciation of the need to protect them and a sense of ownership of the turtle conservation programme. As a result, they refuse to tolerate any poaching of turtles by members of their own community, and poaching ceases.

None of the workers involved with the project have a scientific background, so the programme reaches members of the Seychellois community who might not otherwise get involved in conservation.

Social benefits are that the turtle workers usually enjoy the work and they appreciate the opportunity to do something meaningful outside normal working hours, while also making some extra money. Most of them are adult men engaged in physical labour, so having to fill in the data sheets gives them a chance to revive and enhance their literary skills. Some have stayed with the turtle project for long periods (seven years in one case) and two of them went on to become full-time conservation rangers on other islands in the Seychelles after they had left D’Arros.

From a scientific point of view, the D’Arros and St Joseph turtle monitoring programme was the first such study to be implemented anywhere in the Amirantes Islands when it was initiated in 2004. Over the years it has gathered valuable data that document many aspects of the status and biology of the turtle populations.

These include the following: • The species that occur. Hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata and green turtles Chelonia mydas nest on the islands and forage in large numbers.

There is evidence of small numbers of loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta too (a dead juvenile loggerhead that washed ashore was recovered by members of the monitoring team).

• The number of turtles nesting each year. Based on the data collected during the past five seasons, we estimate that approximately 110 hawksbills nest on D’Arros Island and 180 at St Joseph Atoll; and about 30 green turtles nest on D’Arros and 170 at St Joseph. Considered as a single site, D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll host the largest nesting population of hawksbill turtles (290) in the Seychelles. This is important given that the IUCN lists the hawksbill as a Critically Endangered species and that the Seychelles hosts one of the four largest national populations of nesting hawksbills anywhere in the world.

• Population trends. In the early years of the monitoring project, numbers of nesting turtles remained relatively constant from year to year. Recently, however, the numbers have increased, indicating that conservation efforts are paying off.

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• Nesting seasonality. Hawksbill turtles everywhere in the Seychelles, including at D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll, have a nesting season that peaks from mid-October to mid-January (figure 3). Green turtle nesting is more variable, with seasons in the Western Indian Ocean that differ from one site to another.

Generally, however, more northerly sites (near the equator) tend to peak during the austral winter and more southerly sites (away from the equator) during the austral summer (Dalleau et al., 2012). So we were surprised to find that the nesting season of green turtles at D’Arros Island from February to April (Mortimer et al., 2011) is consistently different from that at St Joseph Atoll, which runs from June to October (Mortimer et al., unpublished data).

The reasons for this difference between two locations only two kilometres apart are unknown, but may be related to water temperature.

• The genetic characteristics of hawksbills appear to be relatively consistent at most nesting sites in the Seychelles (Phillips, Mortimer et al., 2014). However, preliminary data indicate that green turtles nesting in the Amirantes Group may be genetically distinct from those nesting in the southern islands of the Seychelles (Bourjea, Mortimer et al., 2015).

D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll have been recognised as one of the most important sites for sea turtles in the Western Indian Ocean, given the relatively high numbers of hawksbill and green turtles nesting on the same breeding beaches. With continued protection we can expect their numbers to increase.

Figure 3: Nesting seasonalit y of hawksbill and green tur tles at D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll.

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> A juvenile hawksbill tur tle captured by Ryan Daly.

A juvenile green tur tle in St Joseph Atoll.

3. GROWTH RATES AND POPUL ATION SIZE OF RESIDENT JUVENILE HAWKSBILL AND GREEN TURTLES AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF, RESEARCH ASSISTANTS The objective of this long-term study is to gain a better understanding of population numbers, demographics, growth rates and movements of juvenile foraging turtles at D’Arros and St Joseph. Both hawksbill and green turtles recruit into the neritic environment when they attain approximately 35 centimetres (14 inches) in carapace length and will remain there for 10 or more years (Diez and Van Dam, 2002). Efforts to conserve foraging hawksbill populations are hindered by a lack of basic demographic and ecological information. Although there is an increasing number of foraging population studies in the Atlantic Ocean, fundamental data such as population demographics, habitat requirements, home range and movements of foraging hawksbill and green turtles are largely lacking for the Western Indian Ocean.

D’Arros and St Joseph support a high density of juvenile foraging hawksbill and green turtles and provide a unique opportunity to study and monitor the populations of these endangered species.

Although the hawksbill is less common in the area, the study so far has focused more on this species as it has suffered a global decline of more than 90% and is considered by the IUCN to be Critically Endangered, yet is also data deficient.

In 2015, 51 hawksbill and 33 green turtles were caught using the ‘rodeo’ method, which entails leaping off the front of the boat and grasping the turtle, and the ‘beach jump’ method, in which feeding turtles are stalked on foot in the shallows at low tide.

The SOSF-DRC has captured 297 hawksbills since 2006. Several turtles have been recaptured on multiple occasions (as many as 11 times) and the maximum period between first and last captures is 10 years. The annual number of recaptures versus new individuals has never exceeded 40%, which suggests that the number of juvenile hawksbill turtles residing in the D’Arros and St Joseph protected area is well over 600. Considering that the global population of hawksbill turtles has declined so dramatically, this is a highly significant population that requires strict protection. Recapture data show that hawksbill juveniles at D’Arros and St Joseph grow extremely slowly – about one centimetre

(less than half an inch) per year – and significantly more slowly than at other locations (2–5 centimetres, or 1–2 inches, is the norm). Since the density of foraging hawksbills at D’Arros and St Joseph is one of the highest in the world, we suspect that this slow growth rate is a consequence of competition for food resources.

Since 2006 we have captured and tagged 67 green turtles. This species is much more difficult to catch as the turtles are extremely fast and quickly take off at the sound of an approaching boat. Furthermore, they are seldom encountered on foot in shallow areas at low tide and thus can only be captured using the rodeo technique. Nevertheless, they appear to be much more abundant than hawksbill turtles and in 2015 we increased our flipper-tagging effort in an attempt to quantify their growth rates and to gain a better estimate of their foraging numbers. Of the 67 individuals tagged, we have had no recaptures. Based on visual estimates, we speculate that the foraging green turtle population at D’Arros and St Joseph exceeds 2,000 individuals.

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4. POPUL ATION STRUCTURE, RESIDENCY AND BEHAVIOUR OF REEF MANTAS AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF The SOSF-DRC undertakes opportunistic surveys to establish the identity of mantas present around D’Arros Island. This information enables us to determine the population size and structure of mantas in our area and, to some extent, their residency and behaviour. We also use a stereo-video camera to measure mantas at cleaning stations with a view to establishing growth rates. During surveys we document the underside of as many mantas as possible, as the pattern of spots and stripes is unique to each manta, much like fingerprints in humans. The photographs are then added to the identikit database to determine whether the individuals are new to the area.

To date, 110 individuals have been identified, which means that the Amirantes manta population is probably the biggest in the Seychelles. Of these, 63 are adults (35 females and 28 males), 37 are juveniles (13 females and 24 males) and 10 could not be categorised accurately. Although mating behaviour has been observed, mantas visit D’Arros and St Joseph mainly to feed on near-shore plankton aggregations and to visit the cleaning stations. So far, 28 individuals have been measured with the stereo-video system, of which the largest measured 3.78 metres (12.4 feet) across and the smallest 2.31 metres (7.6 feet).

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5. WEATHER AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF In May 2014, the SOSF-DRC installed a new weather station (Davis Vantage pro2) on D’Arros that, in addition to the usual variables (temperature, rainfall, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and wind direction), records solar and ultraviolet radiation, both of which may play a significant role in coral bleaching.

Mean monthly temperatures followed the usual pattern, with the hottest month in April and the coolest in July (figure 4). The coldest and hottest temperatures recorded on D’Arros were 22.8 °C (73 °F; on 17 August) and 32 °C (89.6 °F ; on 31 December) respectively.

Annual rainfall was 1,181 millimetres (46.5 inches), which is well below the average of 1,490 millimetres (58.7 inches). The highest amount of rainfall received in one day was on 26 December (109 millimetres or 4.3 inches).

Wind speed and direction were normal with the north-wester dominating from November until March and the south-easter from April to October (figure 5). Maximum wind speed was recorded in July at 56.3 kilometres per hour (35 miles per hour).

Mantas aggregate of f D’Arros Island at cer tain times of the year to feed on plankton.

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B. TARGETED RESEARCH PROJECTS

> An aggregation of juvenile stingrays in St Joseph Atoll.

A feather tail stingray (lef t) and a porcupine stingray (right) in St Joseph Atoll.

6. THE ECOLOGY OF STINGRAYS AT ST JOSEPH ATOLL AUTHOR: CHANTEL ELSTON PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: CHANTEL ELSTON FIELD PERSONNEL: CHANTEL ELSTON, SOSF-DRC STAFF, DR PAUL COWLEY Research into elasmobranch ecology has traditionally been minimal, with studies on rays and skates in particular lagging behind those on sharks (Bizzarro et al., 2007; Tilley and Strindberg, 2013). However, this is starting to change as researchers realise the ecological importance of rays (O’Shea et al., 2012) while simultaneously noting their population declines globally (Dulvy et al., 2014).

Three species of stingray are found throughout St Joseph Atoll: the cowtail ray Pastinachus sephen, the porcupine ray Urogymnus asperrimus and the mangrove whiptail Himantura granulata. Given its remote location and marine reserve status, the atoll represents a pristine ecosystem with limited anthropogenic impacts. This means that research done here can provide useful baseline insights into the ecology of stingrays in the absence of the effects of human activities.

An understanding of an animal’s trophic ecology opens a window into its behaviour and the role it plays within an ecosystem (Navia et al., 2007). Although references in many field guides state that mangrove, cowtail and porcupine rays eat bony fish and bottom-dwelling crustaceans, there have been no detailed dietary analyses, with the exception of one study conducted in Australia on the porcupine ray (O’Shea et al., 2013). Therefore, part of our study is to determine what these species eat, whether their diets overlap and whether juveniles eat the same prey items as adults. In 2015 we performed the non-lethal technique of gastric lavage on 92 mangrove whiptail and feathertail rays in an attempt to collect stomach contents from them. The procedure yielded stomach contents from 66 of the rays, to add to the 55 stomach content samples we collected from porcupine rays in 2014. The analysis of data for the porcupine rays revealed that they are generalist and opportunistic predators, feeding on a wide variety of prey items but predominantly on those that were most abundant in the environment.

Stomach contents enable us to determine the dietary composition of stingrays with a high level of detail, but they don’t inform us whether the stingrays change their diet as they age. To determine this, we collected muscle samples from 106 stingrays (spanning all three species) and these samples will be analysed to determine their stable isotopic composition. If the juveniles and adults show different stable isotopes, we can say they eat different prey. In addition, we

collected 173 samples of potential prey items for these stingrays (including shrimps, worms, crabs and prawns). The stable isotopes of these prey items will be compared to those of the stingray muscle samples. This is to validate the accuracy of the dietary composition obtained from the stomach content samples, as the latter are subject to certain errors that may occur, for example if not all prey items are evacuated from the stomach during gastric lavage (Baker et al., 2014).

To protect these species, an understanding of their movement patterns and the drivers behind these patterns is also important (Filmalter et al., 2013). Juvenile and adult stingrays are abundant in St Joseph Atoll but are seldom encountered on the surrounding reefs. It is thus hypothesised that the atoll is an important area for these species, particularly the juveniles.

Thirty stingrays were tagged with acoustic transmitters in 2015, adding to the 30 individuals that were tagged in 2014 (20 individuals in total for each of the three species). The transmitters emit acoustic signals that are picked up by receivers strategically placed within and around the atoll. The stingrays are detected whenever they pass close to a receiver, which means we can continuously and passively monitor their movements. Data for juvenile porcupine rays have been analysed and it was found that the young rays display high levels of residency to the atoll over a period of a year. Their movements, moreover, are restricted and most detections occurred within one kilometre (1,100 yards) of their tagging locations. This provides evidence that the atoll serves as a nursery area to juvenile porcupine rays. Water depth and temperature were found to influence movement patterns and juveniles were found to seek out the shallowest waters, presumably to avoid predators.

It is vitally important to protect these species as the porcupine ray is listed as Vulnerable, the mangrove ray as Near Threatened and the feathertail ray as Data Deficient by the IUCN. The information gathered by this research project will help not only to devise a management plan for the stingray population of St Joseph, but also to understand and protect these species as a whole throughout their wide-ranging distributions.

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7. HABITAT AND RESOURCE PARTITIONING OF JUVENILE SHARKS AT ST JOSEPH ATOLL AUTHOR: ORNELL A WEIDELI PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: ORNELL A WEIDELI FIELD PERSONNEL: ORNELLA WEIDELI, SOSF–DRC STAFF Wherever related and/or ecologically similar species with similar habitat and dietary preferences co-occur, competition for similar natural resources are expected (Gause, 1934). To avoid such competitive interactions, animals segregate into different ecological niches either by using different parts of their habitat or by foraging on different prey. At St Joseph Atoll, the blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus and the ecologically similar sicklefin lemon shark Negaprion acutidens utilise shallow water as their nursery ground. The sharks’ early life stages, in which the species’ movements are restricted to the shallow waters, provide us with an opportunity to study how mutually used nursery resources are partitioned among species. Using multifaceted study methods, the project’s core aim is to understand what ecological patterns enable these two shark species to coexist, while baseline data are used to assess the populations for conservation and management purposes.

For each juvenile shark caught, a work-up is conducted that includes taking length and weight measurements, attaching a PIT tag, taking a photograph of the dorsal fin (for identification in case of recapture), extracting a small fin sample for DNA analysis and recording the environmental parameters of the catch locations.

To test for segregation patterns in habitat and resource use, some of the juveniles are actively tracked through their nursery, while the diet of others is investigated using non-lethal gastric lavage and analysing blood and plasma for isotopic signatures. The combination of both these methods to investigate diet enables us to get detailed insight into the sharks’ dietary patterns.

Since the initiation of this project in November 2014, 425 juvenile sharks have been caught at St Joseph Atoll (562 including recaptures from the first and second sampling season). Capture locations recorded in the three consecutive sampling seasons show that areas in the eastern part of the atoll and around its islands are most frequently used by juveniles of both species (figure 6). These areas are sheltered, shallow and rich in prey, which is probably why they attract a high number of sharks.

Of the 425 sharks caught, 200 were lemon sharks and 225 were blacktip reef sharks; 200 sharks were male and 225 were female. These results indicate 117

> Figure 6 : Locations of juvenile blacktip reef sharks (red) and sicklefin lemon sharks (blue) at St Joseph Atoll from three consecutive sampling seasons.

Figure 7: Two manual tracks of the same individual blacktip reef shark. The first track was conducted in November 2014 (light blue) and shows how the neonate shark (born in October 2014) used areas close to the protective island at high tide and moved towards the deeper and less protective lagoon at low tide. In October 2015, the same shark was tracked again (dark blue), only about 700 metres (765 yards) from where it was initially tracked. Again the shark was using areas close to the island at high tide and moved away from its protection at low tide.

a similar population size of juvenile blacktip reef and lemon sharks, with an approximately 1:1 sex ratio. Juvenile blacktip reef sharks ranged from 39.5 to 97 centimetres (15.5 to 38 inches) in total length and juvenile lemon sharks from 56.6 to 110.6 centimetres (22.3 to 43.5 inches) in total length. As both species are viviparous and therefore born with an open umbilical scar (healing time is approximately 2–4 weeks), the different stages of umbilical scar can be used to estimate the time of parturition. We found that the pupping season is between October and March, which is about the same time as the pupping season for both species at Aldabra Atoll (1,000 kilometres, or 620 miles, from St Joseph; Stevens 1984).

The combination of 26 manual tracks and the recapture locations of 137 tagged sharks indicate that both species use a very small part (1–2 square kilometres or 247–494 acres) of the atoll and that they stay in these areas for the first years of their life. This pattern has previously been demonstrated in the Atlantic lemon shark Negaprion brevirostris in Bimini, The Bahamas, where juveniles show very small daily home ranges that only slightly expand during their first years of life. Moreover, by repeatedly tracking a juvenile male blacktip reef shark over one year, we demonstrated that even if the shark experienced significant individual growth (16.8 centimetres or 6.6 inches per year) and doubled its weight, the size and location of its daily movements have not changed significantly (table 1 and figure 7). In summary, with our one year dataset we are not yet able to determine the level of segregation or overlap patterns between the two species, but we have obtained important and detailed insight into their ecology.

After attempts to collect stomach samples by everting the stomach during the first sampling season (November and December 2014) proved unsatisfactory, we are now using gastric lavage. This non-invasive method enables us to collect the shark’s stomach contents by inserting a tube into the stomach and flushing it.

Compared to stomach eversion, lavage is very fast and requires no anaesthetic, and the shark can be released immediately afterwards. During the second and third sampling seasons we were able to apply gastric lavage to a large number

Table 1. Measurements of a recaptured blacktip reef shark that was tracked in two consecutive years

Date of tracking event

TL (cm)

Weight (gr)

Claspers (mm)

State of umbilical scar

1ST CAPTURE

23/11/2014

52.9

900

27

Just closed

2ND CAPTURE

22/10/2015

69.7

1700

39

Faint scar visible

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of sharks. A first attempt to analyse stomach contents by means of molecular identification was conducted in June and July 2015 at the Save Our Seas Shark Research Center (SOSSRC) in Florida and resulted in positive identifications. In both shark species, largescale mullets Chelon macrolepis dominated the diet, although the number of samples was small and this finding should therefore be treated with caution. Stomach samples from the third (September and October 2015) and fourth (March and April 2016) seasons will be analysed at the SOSSRC later in 2016.

For the upcoming year, two field-work seasons are planned. The first was from mid-March to mid-April and the second will be from mid-September to mid-October. The first sampling season aims to finish collecting stomach and blood samples and complete the manual active tracks. The second field season will be dedicated to applying a new technique of tracking, which involves using GPS loggers in combination with VHF devices. During both sampling seasons I will continue to collect fin clips for DNA parental analysis. Laboratory analyses are planned for June, July and August.

Tracking a juvenile lemon shark manually.

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8. SPATIAL AND TROPHIC ECOLOGY OF BONEFISH IN ST JOSEPH ATOLL AUTHORS: EMILY MOXHAM AND DR PAUL COWLEY PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: DR PAUL COWLEY FIELD PERSONNEL: EMILY MOXHAM, DR PAUL COWLEY, SOSF-DRC STAFF Knowledge of bonefish in the Indian Ocean is lacking. Aspects such as the habitat the species depend on and which fisheries they support is relatively unknown. In contrast, Albula vulpes, a bonefish species in the South Pacific, has been extensively studied and its movements and patterns of habitat use have been documented, as have declining population trends. Information such as this, identifying the spatial and trophic ecology of bonefish in the Indian Ocean, is essential if they are to be managed and protected in this region. There is an important recreational fishing industry in the Seychelles that makes a significant contribution to the economy of many of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s isolated islands.

With the overall aim of improving our understanding of bonefish in the Indian Ocean, this project will undertake a global review of the state of knowledge of bonefish species and identify the gaps in our understanding of bonefish in the Indian Ocean; will investigate the spatial and temporal movements of acoustically tagged bonefish within and around St Joseph Atoll; and will determine the trophic ecology of bonefish within St Joseph Atoll.

Thirty bonefish were tagged at St Joseph Atoll with Vemco V13 transmitters on a field trip undertaken in May 2015 and the movements of the fish were tracked for six months. Of the 30 bonefish tagged, 10% survived the duration of the monitoring period, 3% survived for 104 days, 17% survived between one and two weeks, 40% survived for less than a week and 30% were either never detected or were detected on only one receiver. Literature suggests that the apparently high mortality rate can be attributed to the high abundance of predators in the atoll.

Analyses comparing the last 100 hours of tag detections to general behaviour of bonefish are currently under way to test this hypothesis.

Of the fish that survived, analyses on residency, space use and the environmental influences on short-term space use are currently being conducted.

During a field trip in May 2015, muscle tissue samples were extracted from 32 bonefish for stable isotope analysis. These samples were sent to the University of Windsor (Canada) where they are currently being analysed. On a separate field trip, Chantel Elston and the SOSF-DRC research team collected potential bonefish diet items at St Joseph Atoll. The isotopic signatures of these samples are also being analysed and will later be compared to the bonefish tissue samples. In this way, we hope to determine predominant diet items.

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9. MOVEMENTS OF JUVENILE HAWKSBILL TURTLES AT D’ARROS ISL AND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF, RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

Dr Paul Cowley uses his novel fish containment method that minimises capture myopathy and reduces the likelihood of potential post-capture predation by sharks.

D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll support a dense resident population of foraging hawksbill and green turtles (Von Brandis et al., 2010). Hatchlings disperse from nesting beaches via oceanic currents and remain on the pelagic sea surface until they recruit into neritic habitats, such as those at D’Arros and St Joseph, at a carapace length of 25–35 centimetres (10–13 inches; Diez and Van Dam, 2002).

Juveniles and adults generally do not share foraging grounds (Blumenthal et al., 2009), so our foraging population comprises exclusively juveniles. In comparison to other juvenile foraging sites, this area is unique in that it affords turtles a greater variety of habitats. The turtles utilise predominantly three of these: sea-grass beds on the outer reef flat (0–2 metres; 0–6.5 feet), mudflats on the inner reef flat (0–1 metre; 0–3.3 feet) and the deeper coral reefs (5–16 metres; 16.4–52.5 feet).

This project seeks to investigate the detailed movements of these Critically Endangered turtles in order to improve local management capacity; increase the little information there is globally about the ecology of foraging turtle populations; and confirm the importance of D’Arros and St Joseph for these species.

Coded acoustic transmitters have been deployed before on turtles to elucidate home range and habitat use (Blumenthal et al., 2009). However, because acoustic tags can only be attached externally, previous tag deployments have generally been short in duration (often for not more than six months). During trials conducted on 10 turtles at St Joseph Atoll in 2013, we devised an attachment method that has improved tag retention significantly. Indeed, after nearly three years most of these tags still appear to be attached.

HAWKSBILL TURTLES A total of 25 tags have been deployed on hawksbills captured at various locations around the islands within the three dominant foraging habitat types. The first 10 tags were deployed in June 2013 and most are still active. The previous external acoustic tag deployments on similar-sized turtles report retention rates of less than a year. Our tag attachment protocol has more than tripled this record.

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Figure 8: Red crosses denote acoustic receivers and blue circles represent the number of detections. Resident hawksbill tur tles utilise a variet y of habitats at Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arros and St Joseph. Some restrict their movements to the inner mudflats of the atoll (a), some utilise the outer reef slopes and flats of the islands (b) and others forage more widely (c). Tur tles whose movements are restricted to the mudflats live in a non-abrasive, algae-rich environment and are thus of ten covered with algal grow th grow th (photo opposite).

To date, data suggest a variety of foraging strategies and home range sizes (figure 8). Specifically, 13 of the 25 turtles appear never to leave the inside of the atoll, spending most of their time on the food-rich mudflats in the south-east.

Indeed, copious algal growth on the outsides of these turtles gives testament to this fact. In contrast, seven turtles appear never to venture into the atoll, but prefer to forage along the coral reef slopes and reef flats around Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arros and St Joseph, feeding on cryptic sponges (Von Brandis, 2010). The remaining five turtles make use of the full variety of habitats, regularly moving in and out of the atoll.

At least three turtles have recently left the area. One turtle was last recorded on a receiver five kilometres (three miles) to the south-east of the atoll, while another was last detected on a receiver 20 kilometres (12 miles) to the north-west of Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arros. The third turtle was captured by fishermen near Malindi in Kenya more than 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) away (figure 9). The fishermen caught it by accident in their net and delivered it for reward to the Local Ocean Trust at Watamu. This track constitutes the longest migration ever recorded for a hawksbill turtle of such a small size.

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Figure 9: A juvenile hawksbill tur tle that was tagged in St Joseph Atoll on 2 July 2013 maintained a small home range in the atoll (inset) until 27 October 2014, at which time it embarked on a 1,480-kilometre journey to Kenya where it was captured by fishermen on 3 October 2015. It was released unharmed a few days later in the Watamu Marine Protected Area by the Local Ocean Trust.

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Figure 10: Red crosses denote acoustic receivers and blue circles represent number of detections. Smaller resident juvenile green tur tles appear to remain in the atoll at all times (a), whereas larger individuals move in and out in concer t with the tidal pattern (b).

GREEN TURTLES The first green turtle tags were deployed late in 2015 and thus reported tracks only represent a few months of movement. Nevertheless, preliminary data suggest that green turtles also appear to maintain small home ranges (figure 10).

Interestingly, larger turtles tend to move in and out of the atoll in concert with the tides. That is, turtles enter the atoll on the rising tide to feed on the productive seagrass beds in the south-east of the atoll and then leave the atoll on the receding tide.

This pattern has been reaffirmed through opportunistic scuba dives along the outer edges of the atoll at low tide, during which many turtles can be found resting under overhangs.

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A freshly tagged green tur tle is released af ter the epox y holding the ex ternal acoustic tag has set and anti-fouling paint has been applied.

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C. HABITAT RESTORATION 10. FOREST REHABILITATION AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF Terrestrial ecosystems at D’Arros and St Joseph have suffered considerably at the hand of man. By the early 1800s the native vegetation had been almost entirely replaced with coconut plantations and nearly all the mangroves had been cut down for timber. Fortunately, management intervention can significantly accelerate recovery in the terrestrial environment, which is not the case for marine ecosystems.

The SOSF-DRC currently manages an ambitious forest rehabilitation project in which abandoned coconut plantations are being systematically replaced with indigenous forest.

In 2010 a series of experiments were initiated on D’Arros in an attempt to develop a simple, cost-effective and yet efficient technique of coconut forest rehabilitation (Von Brandis, 2012). Although the primary aim of this research was to rehabilitate large sections of D’Arros, a secondary objective was to encourage the initiation of effective rehabilitation programmes on other islands affected in the same way. The resulting rehabilitation protocol was termed the ‘canopy rehabilitation method’ as it involves preserving the upper coconut canopy in order to provide a shaded environment on the forest floor. The benefits were improved survival and growth rate of planted native forest seedlings; reduced establishment of the herbaceous layer and other invasive plants; and enhanced natural regeneration of remnant native vegetation. Once the native trees have formed a mid-level canopy of their own, the remaining coconut palms are gradually eliminated by injecting herbicide into their stems.

Compared to clear-cutting, this method is less labour-intensive; does not require the use of heavy machinery or expensive equipment; improves the survival and growth rates of planted tree seedlings; promotes the natural establishment of native plants; and limits population explosions of invasive alien plants. Consequently a strategy for a large-scale programme was devised and implemented in May 2010. The average turnaround time from virgin coconut forest to self-sustaining broadleaf forest is just four years, giving testament to the efficiency of the canopy rehabilitation method.

Today, more than 16 hectares (39 acres) are currently under rehabilitation on D’Arros Island (figure 11) of which more than half can be considered completed.

A new rehabilitation site has been established on St Joseph Island in the vicinity of the camp (figure 12). In 2015 more than 2.5 hectares (six acres) were cleared of unwanted vegetation at this site by SOSF-DRC staff, who removed more than 600 mid-level coconut palms by chainsaw and thousands of coconut saplings by hand.

Afterwards, thousands of broadleaf tree seeds were dispersed at the site, many of which have already taken root.

Fixed photography provides evidence of the ef ficacy of the rehabilitation method. The image above was taken in March 2011 and the one below in March 2015.

^ Figure 11: Forest rehabilitation sites on D’Arros Island. > Figure 12: Forest rehabilitation site on St Joseph Island.

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Figure 13: Mangrove reforestation sites in the south-east of St Joseph Atoll.

11. MANGROVE REFORESTATION AUTHOR: DR RAINER VON BRANDIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: SOSF–DRC FIELD PERSONNEL: SOSF–DRC STAFF Mangroves are a vital component of healthy atoll ecosystems in that they significantly improve biodiversity and productivity. Specifically, they: • • • • •

provide nursery grounds for fish, rays, sharks, crabs and several invertebrates create leaf litter, a valuable food source for many animals protect coastal environments from erosion provide roosting and breeding habitat for several seabird species provide suitable habitat for several fish, crab, mollusc and invertebrate species that would otherwise not be present in the atoll.

Although there is no historical record of the distribution and abundance of mangroves in St Joseph Atoll, they were almost certainly more abundant in the past. Mangroves were heavily exploited in the Seychelles during the 1800s and 1900s for timber, as the wood is resistant to termites. At one time more than 100 people lived on St Joseph Island and there is little doubt that mangroves were heavily depleted. Today, only remnant stands of the red mangrove Rhyzophora mucronata occur at Benjamin, Paul, Chien, Fouquet and St Joseph islands.

Because these remnant stands are small (the largest is about 2,500 square metres or 26,900 square feet), current forest expansion is slow. Mangrove stands tend to gain momentum as they expand in size; over time, increasing numbers of prop roots trap more silt and slow water flow, thus making conditions more suitable for saplings. In order to accelerate the expansion of stands and create new ones in suitable areas, a mangrove reforestation programme was initiated in 2014.

After extensive trials we have designed a logistically feasible reforestation protocol that appears to be working well. Previous studies have shown that red mangroves can attain more than two metres (6.5 feet) in height in just seven years.

Once these trees begin to bear fruit of their own, the reforestation process should show exponential growth.

Subsequent to reforestation methodology trials in 2014, during which 450 propagules were planted in site 1 (figure 13), 47 mangrove trees had taken root. In 2015 170 propagules were planted in the same area and 73 of these survived, bringing the total number of surviving plants to 120. Growth has been surprisingly rapid and many plants have already grown to more than one metre (three feet) in height.

Another 130 propagules were planted in site 2 (figure 13), but were washed away because the substrate was unsuitable (too sandy and not enough mud) and the tidal influence was too strong (the site was closer to the central lagoon). This experiment has improved our understanding of mangrove reforestation and has enabled us to refine our selection process of new reforestation sites (3–5, figure 13).

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D. OTHER ACTIVITIES 12. RESCUE OF A MELON-HEADED WHALE A juvenile melon-headed whale Peponocephala electra was found stranded on the eastern reef flat of Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arros Island in September 2015. This species is identified by its melon-shaped head, dark grey face, slender, torpedo-shaped body, long pointed flippers and tall pointed dorsal fin. It is most closely related to the pygmy killer whale and pilot whale. After re-stranding itself following its first release not far from the reef flat, the exhausted whale was transported further out to sea using a kayak. It was last seen swimming strongly away from the island.

13. REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO ST JOSEPH CAMP SOSF-DRC staff and visiting researchers have been making increasing use of the small outpost on St Joseph Island as an overnight location while working in the atoll. The outpost consists of derelict buildings from the coconut plantation era (the plantation was abandoned in the late 1970s) and includes a rudimentary kitchen, toilet and shower, a rainwater catchment and two bedrooms. Over the past two years we have revamped these facilities considerably in an attempt to make them more habitable. The roof, windows and doors have been replaced, new beds built, the kitchen and toilet improved and the rainwater catchment rebuilt. A barbecue fireplace has been built and a generator and solar panels installed. An outdoor shower has recently been added and a roof built over the outdoor cooking area.

^ Rescue of a stranded melon-headed whale at Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arros Island. > The research camp on St Joseph Island. Prior to forest-clearing ef for ts in 2014, the camp was completely surrounded by coconut palms.

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14. REMOVAL OF FISH AGGREGATION DEVICES Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs) are deployed at sea by purse-seine tuna fishing boats to help them catch fish. They consist of a wooden or metal frame approximately two metres by two metres (6.5 feet by 6.5 feet) with a GPS attached.

The FAD floats on the surface and is usually wrapped in netting material, much of which hangs up to 20 metres (65 feet) below it. It is left to float at sea for several weeks before the fishing vessel relocates it. For unknown reasons, fish tend to aggregate underneath these FADs, so the fishermen deploy their purse-seine nets and extract all the fish. Because of the staggering number of FADs being used in recent years, we have noted an increase in the number of washed-up devices on surrounding reefs. Once stuck on the reef, FADs do significant damage to corals and pose a threat of entanglement to sharks, turtles, mantas and fish. Removing the FADs from the reef is time-consuming as they are difficult to untangle from the corals and need to be towed by boat to a place where they can be dragged ashore. In 2015 nine FADs were removed from the atoll and the surrounding reefs.

A Fish Aggregation Device entangled on the coral reef at Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arros Island.

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E. PUBLICATIONS

F. LITERATURE CITED

SCIENTIFIC PAPERS Bourjea J, Mor timer JA, Garnier J, Okemwa G, Godley BJ, Hughes G, Dalleau M, Jean C, Ciccione S, Muths D. 2015. Population structure enhances perspectives on regional management of the western Indian Ocean green tur tle. Conservation Genetics 16: 1069–1083.

Elston C, Von Brandis RG, Cowley PD. 2015. Gastric lavage as a non-lethal method for stingray (Myliobatiformes) diet sampling. African Journal of Marine Science 37: 415–419.

Lea JSE, Humphries NE, Clarke CR, Sims DW. 2015. To Madagascar and back: longdistance, return migration across open ocean by a pregnant female bull shark Carcharhinus leucas. Journal of Fish Biology.

OR AL PRESENTATIONS Elston, C. St Joseph Atoll – a potential nurser y to juvenile porcupine rays. Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Symposium .

Lea, J. Using habitat use of reef sharks to help define a Marine Protected Area in the Amirantes, Seychelles. 2015 Annual Symposium of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles: The Biology, Ecology and Conservation of Elasmobranchs: Recent Advances and New Frontiers.

POPUL AR ARTICLES Der Traum vom Meer. 2015. Nereus .

From tur tle pond to lemon shark sanctuar y: Global Vision International project on Curieuse aiming to suppor t local and global conser vation ef for ts. 2015. Seychelles News Agency.

Shark come up. 2015. New Zealand Geographic .

Young hawksbill tur tle migrates to Kenya from the Amirantes. 2015. Seychelles Nation .

MSc/PhD COMPLETION Elston C. (MSc) 2015. The trophic and spatial ecology of stingrays at the St Joseph Atoll, Seychelles. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversit y (SAIAB).

Baker R, Buckland A, Sheaves M. 2014. Fish gut content analysis: robust measures of diet composition. Fish and Fisheries 15(1): 170–17 7.

Bizzarro JJ, Robinson HJ, Rinewalt CS, Eber t DA. 2007. Comparative feeding ecology of four sympatric skate species of f central California, USA. Environmental Biology of Fishes 80(2–3): 197–220.

Blumenthal JM, Austin TJ, Bell CDL, Bothwell JB, Broderick AC, Ebanks-Petrie G, Gibb JA, Luke KE, Olynik JR, Orr MF, Solomon JL, Godley BJ. 2009. Ecology of hawksbill tur tles Eretmochelys imbricata on a western Caribbean foraging ground. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 8(1): 1–10.

Bourjea J, Mor timer JA, Garnier J, Okemwa G, Godley BJ, Hughes G, Dalleau M, Jean C, Ciccione S, Muths D. 2015. Population structure enhances perspectives on regional management of the western Indian Ocean green tur tle. Conservation Genetics 16: 1069–1083.

Navia AF, Mejía-Falla PA, Giraldo A. 2007. Feeding ecology of elasmobranch fishes in coastal waters of the Colombian Eastern Tropical Pacific. BMC Ecology 7(1): 1.

O’Shea O. 2012. The ecology and biology of stingrays (Dasyatidae) at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. PhD disser tation, Murdoch Universit y.

O’Shea OR, Thums M, Van Keulen M, Kempster RM, Meekan MG. 2013. Dietar y par titioning by five sympatric species of stingray (Dasyatidae) on coral reefs. Journal of Fish Biology 82(6): 1805–1820.

Pauly D. 1995. Anecdotes and the shif ting baseline syndrome of fisheries. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 10: 430–434.

Dalleau M, Ciccione S, Mor timer JA, Garnier J, Benhamou S, Bourjea J. 2012. Nesting phenology of marine tur tles: insights from a regional comparative analysis on green tur tle (Chelonia mydas). PLoS One 7(10): e46920.

Phillips KP, Mor timer JA, Jolif fe KG, Jorgensen TH, Richardson DS. 2014. Molecular techniques reveal cr yptic life histor y and demographic processes of a critically endangered marine tur tle. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 455: 29–37.

Diez CE, Van Dam RP. 2002. Habitat ef fect on Hawksbill tur tle grow th rates on feeding grounds at Mona and Monito Islands, Puer to Rico. Marine Ecology Progress Series 234: 301–309.

Stevens JD. 1984. Life-histor y and ecology of sharks at Aldabra Atoll, Indian Ocean.

Proceedings of the Royal Society of London 79–106.

Dulv y NK, Fowler SL, Musick JA, Cavanagh RD, Kyne PM, Harrison LR, Pollock CM. 2014.

Ex tinction risk and conser vation of the world’s sharks and rays. Elife 3.

Tilley A, Strindberg S. 2013. Population densit y estimation of southern stingrays Dasyatis americana on a Caribbean atoll using distance sampling. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 23(2): 202–209.

Filmalter JD, Dagorn L, Cowley PD. 2013. Spatial behaviour and site fidelit y of the sicklefin lemon shark in a remote Indian Ocean atoll. Marine Biology 160(9): 2425–2436.

Von Brandis RG. 2012. Rehabilitation of abandoned coconut plantations: Temporar y maintenance of the upper coconut canopy provides significant benefits at D’Arros Island, Republic of Seychelles. Ocean and Coastal Management 69: 340–346.

Gause GF. 1934. The Struggle for Existence. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, USA.

Von Brandis RG, Mor timer JA, Reilly BK. 2010. In-water obser vations of the diving behaviour of immature hawksbill tur tles (Eretmochelys imbricata) on a coral reef at D’Arros Island, Republic of Seychelles. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 9(1): 26–32.

Mor timer JA. 2012. Seasonalit y of green tur tle (Chelonia mydas) reproduction at Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles (1980–2011) in the regional contex t of the Western Indian Ocean. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 11(2): 170–181.

Mor timer JA, Camille J-C, Boniface N. 2011. Seasonalit y and status of nesting hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green tur tles (Chelonia mydas) at D’Arros Island, Amirantes Group, Seychelles. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 10(1): 26–33.

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Mor timer JA, Donnelly M. 2008. Marine Tur tle Specialist Group 2007 IUCN Red List status assessment Hawksbill Tur tle (Eretmochelys imbricata). http://www.iucn-mtsg. org/red_list/ei/index.shtml

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Drone images of St Joseph Atoll taken at low tide and high tide.

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EMILY MOXHAM & PAUL COWLEY

BEHAVIOURAL ECOLOGY OF BONEFISH AND PERMIT AT ST JOSEPH ATOLL, REPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE FOR AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY 2015 ST JOSEPH ATOLL, SEYCHELLES R esearch , C onservation , E ducation B onefish (A lbula oligolepis) and permit (Trachinotus blochii )

WHO I AM I have always loved water. Growing up on a farm in the interior of South Africa means that swimming in dams and walking along the river formed a large part of my childhood memories. However, our location and the responsibilities of farming prevented my family from having much involvement with the ocean. This changed drastically one windy day in 2010 when I first sailed on the sea. The power of the wind immediately freed me from day-to-day concerns, while the infinity of the ocean opened my mind to the opportunities and experiences that lay ahead. As a young student I was hooked – and I hadn’t even looked below the surface! Since then, I have become passionately involved in sailing and embarked on a degree in ichthyology. The ocean is now my sanctuary, learning about it has become an obsession and helping to preserve it is a lifelong goal.

WHERE I WORK I am registered for an MSc degree at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, and will be working closely with my project supervisors Dr Paul Cowley (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity), Dr Rainer von Brandis (SOSF D’Arros Research Centre) and Dr Jude Bijoux (Seychelles Fishing Authority). Although I am based in Grahamstown, the field work for my Master’s research will take me to the pristine tropical paradise of St Joseph’s Atoll in the Seychelles.

Having just begun my Master’s, I have yet to discover the environment in which I will conduct my research. However, from what I have read I know that a great deal of nature remains undisturbed by human activity at St Joseph’s Atoll. Working in this environment will provide me with a perfect opportunity to investigate the behaviour of my study subject, bonefish of the genus Albula, in its natural habitat.

I have seen images of beautiful beaches and blue, crystal-clear water, and I have heard of storms and wind and rough seas. Postcard-pretty or not, it all sounds like paradise to me! I am prepared for long hours in the sun, wind and rain, and am excited and equipped to experience this environment. I also look forward to collecting and analysing data, as well as sharing ideas with my co-workers. Although this may sound boring, it is often the most exciting part of research, as findings become apparent and knowledge and creativity are tested. I am ecstatic about the opportunity to experience this life at first hand.

WHAT I DO The Save Our Seas Foundation is enabling me to visit St Joseph Atoll and D’Arros Island to conduct research on the behavioural and trophic ecology of the bonefish, which is an important tourism fishery species in Seychelles and elsewhere in the world.

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It is abundant at tropical atolls such as St Joseph and forms a vital link in the food chain. This link between predator and prey connects and balances top predator species, such as sharks and barracuda, with invertebrates and crustaceans of the ocean floor.

By means of passive acoustic telemetry, we will be tracking the movements of bonefishes in space and time, thus gaining insight into how they use their habitat. We will investigate factors such as where they spend their day, where they forage and where they spawn, as well as how cycles such as those of the tides and moon may influence their movements. An array of acoustic receivers deployed in and around St Joseph Atoll is currently being used to track a number of other species, including sharks and stingrays.

In addition to the telemetry research, I will conduct gastric lavage on bonefishes to investigate their food habits and gain better insight into their trophic ecology. This study will be the first of its kind conducted on the bonefish in the Indian Ocean.

The findings of this research will contribute towards a better understanding of multi-species interactions and ultimately the ecology of St Joseph Atoll, and will help fisheries managers to make informed decisions about laws and regulations that will protect bonefish and conserve stocks.

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LAUREN PEEL & GUY STEVENS

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‘Through the Seychelles Manta Ray Project (SMRP), we aim to investigate the movement patterns, feeding ecology and population dynamics of reef manta rays Manta alfredi within the waters of D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll. This research will enable us to gain a better understanding of the health and size of the local manta population, as well as where, how and why these animals move through the various habitats available to them.’

SPATIO-TEMPORAL MOVEMENTS OF MANTA RAYS IN THE SEYCHELLES AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE | SOSF D’ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE | THE MANTA TRUST 2013 - 2015 D’ARROS ISLAND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL, SEYCHELLES R esearch R eef manta r ay (Manta alfredi)

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WHO I AM Having grown up in rural Western Australia, I have always been surrounded by wildlife and I cannot remember a time when I wasn’t in awe of the natural world. My passion for the ocean and marine life was sparked when I was five years old and my family took the first of many trips to the Ningaloo Reef. I could not get enough of snorkelling the reefs and exploring the intertidal pools to see what new creatures I could discover. It wasn’t long before everyone knew the response they would get when they asked me, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up, Lauren?’ ‘A marine biologist!’ I would say, with the biggest grin on my face.

My fascination with the world around me drove me to complete my Bachelor’s degree in 2011 at the University of Western Australia, where I majored in zoology and chemistry. It was in 2012, while completing my Honours research into the visual

system of the Port Jackson shark, that I discovered my love for all things elasmobranch. I knew then that I wanted to make a career out of studying these incredible animals and promoting their conservation through education.

Since completing my undergraduate studies, I have been fortunate enough to work with a diverse array of marine life in Australia and South Africa alongside many incredible marine scientists. I have assisted with sea turtle research in the remote north-west of Australia and for two years I held the position of field specialist for a marine research organisation in South Africa, where I was able to contribute to research projects that focused on everything from intertidal invertebrate communities to dolphin, whale and white shark biology. These experiences have enabled me to refine my interests towards research projects that endeavour to expand

our knowledge of the population dynamics, trophic role, movement patterns and ecology of sharks and rays in order to promote the development of scientifically informed management directives and the improved design of marine protected areas.

WHERE I WORK The stunning D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll belong to the Outer Islands group of the Republic of Seychelles in the Western Indian Ocean and their waters boast a diverse array of marine life. Depending on the season, you can observe turtles, stingrays, sharks and even manta rays in the turquoise blue waters of the lagoon or across the reefs and sea-grass beds surrounding the islands. The remote and sheltered nature of D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll contributes greatly to their beauty – and their importance as a research site. As human-driven impacts upon the marine ecosystems and native fauna in the area are greatly restricted because of the limited public access to the islands, studies of animal movement patterns and biology can be conducted with the knowledge that the animals’ behaviour is completely natural and not being influenced by human activities in any way. This pristine

opportunity is rarely found in the modern age of global travel and is one of the many reasons why the Save Our Seas Foundation’s D’Arros Research Centre is such an incredible place to work from.

WHAT I DO When people think of manta rays, they think of graceful and harmless giants that leave people in awe of their beauty and charisma. Diving with these animals is at the top of many people’s bucketlists and global manta ray ecotourism ventures have been valued at more than US$50-million. Despite this, manta ray populations around the world are currently in a state of decline. In the past 75 years, manta numbers have decreased globally by about 30% and losses of up to 80% have been witnessed in some areas. These population declines are driven largely by demand from the traditional Chinese medicine market for manta gill plates, as well as for food in smaller fishing villages. The rays are also taken as by-catch in fishing nets and on long lines. As the majority of the fisheries around the world that target these animals are artisanal and small-scale, it is difficult to decrease the mortality of manta rays using traditional approaches to

fisheries management, such as bag limits. In these circumstances we turn to marine protected areas as a means to manage and conserve manta ray populations.

Through the Seychelles Manta Ray Project (SMRP), we aim to investigate the movement patterns, feeding ecology and population dynamics of reef manta rays Manta alfredi within the waters of D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll. This research will enable us to gain a better understanding of the health and size of the local manta population, as well as where, how and why these animals move through the various habitats available to them. The information collected will not only provide us with a broader knowledge of manta ray biology, but also enable us to better understand the conservation needs of this species in terms of calculating homerange sizes and identifying areas of critical habitat.

We also hope to use our findings to assess the effectiveness of using marine protected areas as a way to conserve manta ray populations both in the Seychelles and across the Indian Ocean, as well as to improve the design and implementation of such protective strategies in the future.

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SOSF D’ARROS RESEARCH CENTRE | D’ARROS ISL AND AND ST JOSEPH ATOLL | AMIR ANTES | SEYCHELLES

After completing a degree in nature conservation in Pretoria, South Africa, Rainer spent the first part of his career in the African bushveld, where he studied white rhino movements, conducted anti-poaching patrols and guided safaris. Several years later he took a temporary job as a botanical guide at Rocktail Bay on the northern coast of South Africa. During his first encounter with a nesting turtle on the beach, he was so inspired by these vulnerable creatures that he sensed a major fork in his career path. He soon became hopelessly addicted to the ocean and spent all his spare time getting to know it. After hastily completing his Honours degree, he returned to Rocktail as a turtle researcher and stayed there for nearly two years.

Rainer’s persistent hunger for adventure eventually led him to a four-month voluntary position at Aldabra, a remote, untouched coral atoll teeming with turtles and other marine life. He loved it so much out there that he ended up staying for five years, employed as the chief scientific officer. In 2006 he was offered an opportunity to conduct his PhD on the foraging ecology of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle at D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll in the Amirantes group of the Seychelles. He spent the next five years following turtles around underwater and gaining an intimate understanding of the area and its surroundings. Having completed his PhD in 2011, he took up the position of scientific director of the D’Arros Research Centre.

In Zermatt, Switzerland, the 4,478-metre-high Matterhorn rises behind the SOSF team at the annual meeting of the scientific advisors in September 2015. From lef t to right: Nadia Bruyndonck x, Sarah Fowler, Michael Scholl, Dean Grubbs and Thomas Peschak.

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BOYES CHRISTOPHER AL AN | L AB MANAGER For Chris Boyes, being the lab manager at the research centre on D’Arros Island in the Seychelles means that he is the fulltime person on the ground who maintains a world-class facility for research and education. At the same time, he manages the longterm studies and rehabilitation projects on and around the island and neighbouring St Joseph’s Atoll.

Since gaining a BSc in forestry (nature conservation) from the University of Stellenbosch in 2004, Chris has worked on many diverse research projects, from nesting sea turtles in Costa Rica and Maputaland, South Africa, to wetland birds in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. He specialises in working with nesting sea turtles and is currently completing his MSc thesis on leatherback sea turtles in Maputaland with the University of Stellenbosch.

BULLOCK KERRYN | RESEARCH ASSISTANT Kerryn started her career in nature conservation in 2007 in the Kalahari Desert. Since then, her research has focused on small mammals in the savanna and most recently, for her Master’s degree, on samango monkeys in the forests of Magoebaskloof, South Africa. Kerryn came to D’Arros as a forest-rehabilitation volunteer and now, after four trips to the island, she has gained valuable knowledge not only about rehabilitating its forest, but also about its ecosystems and marine life. As assistant lab manager of the D’Arros Research Centre, Kerryn is keen to continue in her chosen field of nature conservation.

SOSF STAFF

VON BR ANDIS R AINER | SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR

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CREDITS

Photo credits included in the complete Annual Reports: 2013 Annual Report: sosf.me/annualreport-2013 2014 Annual Report: sosf.me/annualreport-2014 2015 Annual Report: sosf.me/ar-2015

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