Deployments Under Way in Chagos

Dr. Taylor Chapple (right) tests a newly-placed buoy

The team is deploying and testing a series of buoys capable of detecting tagged sharks and uplinking to orbiting Iridium satellites. These buoys are large and challenging to install in this remote location.

With back up assistance from Amirix and back and forth with our California team, Dr. Taylor Chapple, Robbie Schallert and  the multi-national expedition have succeeded in deploying and testing these biological ocean observation tools. Now as sharks swim by, we will be able to monitor their movements at two points - moving in and out of the largest atoll in the world, Peros Banhos.

At other locations we have placed four underwater VR4 UM monitors that will provide the capacity to monitor and uplink shark movements to a surface modem.

Aaron Carlisle, Dave Tickler, John Dale,  and the crew have worked together to place 44 underwater monitors that are “marine animal detectors” at key locations between two atolls (Peros Banhos and Salamon Islands) providing extensive coverage of the region.