AMP 2006 expedition

In November-December 2006 the AMP team returned to Aldabra and Assomption to conduct surveys of all sites and download temperature data loggers.  This time in the team were Dr. Nigel Downing, Dr. Ray Buckley, Mr. Alan Smith and Dr. Ben Stobart.  The team was pleased to have Alan Smith along as he is an extremely experienced diver and field biologist, and was a great asset to the expedition (see team photo below).  This time our work base was the support vessel Hydra and its crew that came up from Madagascar.

The AMP team from left to right: Ray Buckley, Ben Stobart, Alan Smith and Nigel Downing

This year the team was lucky to be sponsored by the Seychelles Islands Foundation that provided a return flight to the remote island of Assomption, 30 miles from Aldabra.  A total of twelve sites were surveyed during the two week stay at Aldabra and Assomption, and almost 40 temperature data loggers downloaded from select sites. 

Ray Buckley and Nigel Downing conducting fish surveys at Assomption

Initial results suggest that the coral reefs at Aldabra have changed very little since our last visit, though it seems that coral growth had improved this year.  We will not be sure of this until video transects have been analysed.  Full results will be included in our 2006 report later this year. 

Alan Smith repairing broken permanent transect line (left) and transect marker buoy (right) encrusted with Halimeda calcareous alga (bottom and top), Dendronepthya soft coral (right) and also note small Pocillopora coral recruit in the center of the encrusted buoy (brown colour).

 

The AMP particularly wishes to thank the Seychelles Islands Foundation for their ongoing support which made this expedition possible.

 

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AMP activities in 2005