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Expedition launching day on Saturday April 22th

Le Port, Reunion.

At some 200 meters from the great ship, the Marion Dufresne, two large white tents were mounted for the occasion. At 10 am, officials, scientists and journalists gathered: it was the launch of the oceanographic exploration campaign of the Walter’s Shoal.

In turn the orators followed each other, between two showers, because it was a beautiful day of tropical rains, of those which moisten you in an instant, and which drums on the stretched canvas.

After a few words of welcome on behalf of IUCN, the floor is given to Janique Etienne of the FFEM, who reframes this project within the actions of this organization which finances sustainable development projects throughout the world. Then it is Nadia Deckert from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development who explains the interest of such a project for France whose presence in this region is important. Finally, Jonathan Lansley, executive secretary of SIOFA (Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement), presents the objectives and means of this new regional fisheries management organization. Then, Philippe Bouchet from the National Museum of Natural History and Jean-François Ternon from IRD made a fascinating portrait of the benthic and pelagic ecosystems of the seamounts in general and of the Walter’s Shoal in particular. They were followed by Florence Galletti, also from the IRD, who told us, in a very pedagogical manner, the mysteries of the law of the sea and the negotiations in progress in New York about this new implementing agreement on the conservation of biodiversity in Areas beyond national jurisdictions.

After these rich nourishments of the spirit, it is with pleasure that the participants devoured the magnificent buffet served by our Reunionese hosts.

In the afternoon, I started by a presentation on the whole project and the links between the scientific research component, the Walter’s Shoal campaign being the highlight, and the component on management and governance of the seamounts of the region. This presentation was followed by two panel discussions. The first one, led by Estelle Crochelet, focused on connectivity issues: how are the coasts of Africa and Madagascar affected by seamounts, and vice versa, how birds and marine mammals use these ecosystems, How does the plankton benefit from the upwellings that are created around the seamounts?

The second panel, which I facilitated, was about the links between the production of scientific knowledge and the decision-making. At the International Whaling Convention, the Nairobi Convention, SIOFA or the TAAF (French Southern and Antarctic Territories), how are scientific advices provided and how are they taken into account? At the level of a country like Madagascar, how can the essential data to the selection of marine protected areas be generated?

For the latter part of the afternoon, members of the expedition presented details of their activities and the instruments on board: trawls, pelagic nets and other dredgers. And finally, the communication team presented the means that will be implemented: blog, website, educational communication with the schools, and the shooting of a documentary of 26mn, with underwater view, that one expects with impatience.

The head full of dreams of great discoveries, the participants ended the day with an excellent punch and some delicious cupcakes.

Good wind, good sea, and beautiful discoveries on the Walters Shoal!

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