BGF#4
Type: Large
Lead Project Partner: Seychelles Islands Foundation
Partners:
- Education for Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU), Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD)
- Sir Tim Smit, The Eden Project, UK
- Joe Grabowski, Founder of Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants (EBTSOYP), Canada
SeyCCAT funds: SCR 1,000,000
Co-financing: SIF is committing an additional SCR 684,000 in cash to this project that will bring the total monetary value of the project to SCR 1,684,000.
Duration: 12 months
SeyCCAT strategic objective: 1
Project Story:
The Aldabra atoll is a remote and pristine coral atoll located 1120 km away from the main island of Mahe in Seychelles. It is the world’s second-largest elevated coral atoll and one of the two UNESCO heritage sites in the country. Due to its remote location, the Aldabra atoll is protected from human impacts, making it an ideal ground for ecosystem research.
For over 40 years, the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) has been conducting research on Aldabra. While SIF’s research is frequently published in scientific journals and informs Aldabra’s management, its full outreach potential has not been reached. Despite committed efforts and resources to education and outreach activities, the science and conservation stories from Aldabra do not reach the community in Seychelles. This results in missed educational opportunities and can potentially impact investment decisions to support Aldabra’s conservation programmes.
To address this issue, the Communications for Change (C4C) project seeks to translate technical research information into easy-to-understand content and share the successes of the Aldabra Reef Monitoring (ARM) programme with the people of Seychelles and international audiences. By reaching wider non-scientific audiences, the project aims to inspire the next generation of marine stewards and encourage continuous investment in the protection of this natural laboratory.
The ARM has been monitoring coral reefs, benthic communities, and fish assemblages annually since 2013. This follows the re-structuring of previous monitoring conducted by Cambridge University researchers between 1999 and 2008 (Aldabra Marine Programme). SIF conducted extensive monitoring of Aldabra’s coral reefs before and after the bleaching event of 2013 to 2015, recording exciting results.
To share these findings, SIF has turned to innovative communication methods to deliver Aldabra’s messages of hope, focusing on marine science. The project connects SIF’s scientific monitoring work in “real-time” to local and international audiences For this, the team installed a satellite dish on the atoll to enhance connectivity and allow for broadcasting from the field. The C4C project also develops digital communications materials that underscore the value of Aldabra’s marine ecosystems while showcasing best practices in marine conservation research.
Educational organizations, local schools, community groups, and NGOs are the main beneficiaries of the C4C project. They can access new resources and participate in exciting events that explore Aldabra and its conservation success stories. The C4C project partners with national and international educational organizations to create accessible knowledge exchange spaces and ignite youth’s interest in ecosystem conservation.
The project’s interactive approach was particularly valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic, when online education replaced in-person classes, and teachers were looking for new ways to engage their students.
Project Application Form: Coming soon
Live For Aldabra