Friday, February 1, 2013

the Chagos Archipelago

The mission to the Chagos Archipelago has begun...we finally arrived in the Maldives after two days of traveling...crossing 13 time zones. The Bertarelli Foundation has joined forces with TRCC/TAG/GTOPP to tag apex predators in one of the most remote and protected reef systems in the world. In 2010, the Chagos became the largest marine protected area in the world at 644,000 square kilometers. We have 65 tags (15 miniPAT and 50 acoustic) to deploy on various species...from tuna to sharks to rays. And a 10 receiver acoustic array to set-up.

This morning we will fly across the equator to meet our hosts aboard the Vava II...the 314 foot ship is docked in Gan Island on the southernmost atoll in the Maldives. From there we head due south 500 kilometers.

-Robbie Schallert