Second Largest Indian Ocean Protected Area Born

Seychelles Islands World All Details

The second largest marine protected area in the Indian Ocean is born in an unique turn of events. The Government of Seychelles in a singular unprecedential agreement has created a 400 thousand square kilometer marine protected area working with The Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy provided assistance to the government and designed a debt swap program which allowed Seychelles to redirect a portion of their debt payments from external creditor -The Paris Club to fund a conservation and climate adaptation activities as well as the second largest marine protected area of the Indian Ocean.

Alliance Magazine reported on March 19th on the “debt swap” which raised financed for conservation in Seychelles. Seychelles News Agency described the deal as a “milestone agreement”.

The Nature Conservancy TNC announced that its support to the project will be taken on by the NatureVest. The agreement reached with the Paris Club creditors sets that the Government commits to conservation and management. TNC will invest $23 million in impact capital while raising an additional $8 million to finance the deal.

The news attracted the attention of international media which focused mostly on the financial innovations of the deal. But it is impossible to refer to the news without addressing the breathtaking environment of the over 110 islands of Seychelles The environment has been described by international organisations such as National Geographic as one of the most rich ecological locations of the World. Ocean life dwelling in the waters of the area is beyond inspiration.

“This is the largest raised coral atoll on Earth: remote, inhospitable, spared from human interference, home to 100,000 giant tortoises, and surrounded by pristine reefs. It is truly one of the wonders of the world,” National Geographic reported highlighting communities of mating Giant Tortoises, Ancient Fishing Techniques, Strong Local Ocean CUlture, Best Drift Diving locations in the World and other Hidden Wonders.

Diving, tourism, rich environment, vast range of marine life forms, untouched pristine locations these are the issues which make the islands a unique location. Voices of National Geographic reported on March 11th from the frontline of their new Pristine Seas Expedition in the Seychelles on its hidden wonders.

Having travelled to more than a dozen of the most “untouched parts of the ocean” to study marine life and documenting environments in full the team of Pristine Seas was still taken back for what they found in the Seychelles.

National Geographic described the debt swap deal made for conservation of the Seychelles -archipelago just north of Madagascar as “an opportunity to protect their unique marine assets.”

“While our main focus is the life underwater, we’re still always connected to the people who live in these places above the waves. Our first experience here made that connection as clear as ever,” National Geographic reported.

The team of Nat geo described beaches of Beau Vallon as “one of the most spectacular beaches in the world”.

“Warm ocean breeze, the sound of waves breaking on the white sand, and the perfect endless blue of the sky made for a fabulous scene... a truly perfect moment,” National Geographic scratched the surface of the archipielago hidden wonders.

The organization describes local residents as connected to the ocean. “Their respect for nature is a spirit that will guide us as we depart from Mahé today and sail 600 miles for the official beginning of our expedition at the remote islands of Assumption, Astove, Cosmoledo, and Aldabra.

“The Seychelles, a nation of 115 islands in the Western Indian Ocean, with its low-lying geography, makes its people and economy particularly vulnerable to the threats of climate change,” TNC explains stressing the actions which will be taken in route of adaptation.

The Challenge? TNC says its “Blue Economy”, tuna and tourism,, vulnerability to climate change, rising sea levels, severe storms, and conservation of trophic chains.

The Solution? A unique agreement and commitment that sets world precedent and funds conservation activities including the creation and management of over 400,000 km2 of new marine protected areas MPAs. This area represents 30% of their exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and the new MPA will be the second largest in the Indian Ocean.

Ocean Life News in Brief

Ocean Level Increase Dropping Oceans Floor: International Press reported on December 5 on the findings of new research which assures that due to ocean level increase the ocean floor is sinking. The study published online in Geophysical Research Levels used mathematical equations to accurately measure the Ocean's floor impact driven by the increased of water volume weight. Using data from 1993 to 2014 researchers found that ocean level increase is causing the Ocean floor to drop globally by the milimeters. Ocean Dead Zones Up By Four: On January 8 New York Daily reported that Ocean Dead Zones have quadrupled.Researchers warned in a new study that oxygen-starved ocean dead zones, where animals and plants are struggling to survive, have increased fourfold and it may not be reversible. The new study was published in the Journal Science. The increase of Dead Zones was linked to climate change. La Niña´s Polar Wave Hitting Hard the US -Freezing Oceans: International Press reported on the Polar Wave hitting hard the US. The event is linked by experts to the influence of La Niña. “For the past couple of weeks, parts of North America have been chilling down to record temperatures, with massive snowfall and icy cold conditions putting life at a standstill for many,” media reported. The US East Coast has been particularly badly hit with the likes of Boston down to Philadelphia reaching bone-chilling lows of near 0°F , with icy winds making it feel closer to around -10°F to -20°F. Officially 18 were dead and 100 million affected. Government of Bali Declares a Garbage Emergency: On January 5 Ocean Conservancy reported on a New Waste Management Emergency in Bali. Massive amounts of ocean debri are affecting the island. The situation has reached its peak as the Government of Bali declared a “Garbage Emergency”. Clean up works have began. “Ivory Coast Village Swallowed by Ocean Increase,” Aljazeera Reports: On January 8 Al Jazeera reported that ocean increase levels are affecting infrastructure in the Ivory Coast. “Rising tides and more frequent, devastating storms are slowly destroying what is left of Lahou-Kpanda, the offshoot of what was once a major colonial town near the mouth of the Bandama River, the longest river in Ivory Coast,” Al Jazeera reported. Arctic Ocean Radioactive Levels on the Rise: IFL Science reported on January 3 on the findings of new report which assures that radioactive levels in the Arctic Ocean are on the rise. “Concentrations of radioactive radium-228 in the Arctic Ocean increased between 2007 and 2015,” the report reads. While levels have not yet reached a mark of concern the trend is worries experts. Lauren Kipp of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution addressed the issue. New World Wide Ocean Turtle Study Says 90% of Plastic Pollution Cases Result in Death: Earth Sky Org reported on January 7 that hundreds of marine turtles die every year after getting tangled in trash in oceans and on beaches. A research published in the journal Endangered Species Research took on a World-Wide Survey covering the major oceans where turtles live. They discovered that 91 % of the entangled turtles were found dead. They also suffered serious wounds from entanglement, leading to maiming, amputation or choking. Double Whirlpools Discovered for First Time: December 4 Press reported that Double Eddies have been registered for the first time in History. Tangled up Double Eddies can travel great distances affecting ecology significantly. Eddies are a natural part of the ocean environment but double whirlpools had only been theorized by mathematicians.