Nekton to explore the Seychelles Midnight Zone in a joint marine-research
The state house announced last Wednesday in a press release the new joint marine-research to explore further the marine biodiversity in the Seychelles and Maldivians oceans. The objective is to establishing a baseline of marine life and the state of the ocean in Seychelles, the Maldives and the High Seas of the central Indian Ocean.
The first descent “Midnight Zone’ will be at a depth between 1000-4000 meters where there is absolutely no light. This research will focus mainly on the seamounts between the Seychelles and Maldives. Seamounts are known to be underwater sea mountains which has been formed by volcanic activities. The expedition will be using one of the world’s most advanced deep-diving submersible alongside a dozen research tools including landers, sampling, sensors and mapping technology.
“A healthy planet needs a healthy ocean. The time to act is now. Seychelles is committed to ocean conservation and by the end of March, we will have 30% of our waters established as protected areas. Seychelles are demonstrating the scientific and economic case for sustainable ocean management and protection and we are delighted that other nations, like the Maldives, are taking leadership” said President Danny Faure of Seychelles.