Aug 1 2013
Following our 2012 expedition of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, we are excited to announce the focus of our second major regional expedition, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
Image: The new SVII-S camera at work on location in Belize
Why the Caribbean?
Coral reefs can be thought of as "the canary in the coal mine"; we know that a coral reef that is showing signs of stress can be an indicator of a much larger problem in our seas. Over the past 50 years the World Resources Institute reports that up to 80% of coral coverage has been lost in this area. Both increased and more severe storm activity, outbreaks of invasive species (i.e. lionfish), ocean warming and coastal development contribute to the destruction of these reefs which Project Director Richard Vevers describe as "being on the frontline of risk".
Introducing the Seaview SVII-S
The world famous dive sites of Belize have provided a stunning location for us to test the SVII-S, our latest tool used to record, research and reveal the world's coral reefs. The SVII-S took its first underwater shots at Long-Caye and has since been down as deep as 40 metres at the Blue Hole, one of the most revered scuba destinations on the planet. The SVII-S is a more portable version of the workhorse that is the SVII camera. We now have the scooter powered SVII camera for longer 2km scientific transects, and the human powered SVII-S for shorter transects. More about the new SVII-S here:
Where to next?
The team have just completed a survey of the Belize-adjacent section of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and have now moved into Mexican waters. Other locations that will be surveyed in 2013 include Bermuda, Anguilla, St. Vincent, Guadeloupe, Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas. You can stay up to date with the team's progress right here on our website or via any of our social media channels: Google+ FaceBook Twitter YouTube