May 26 2008
SES NEW SKIES, an SES company announces that the company has renewed its support - through the provision of optimal satellite capacity - of The Nature Conservancy, the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters.
The Nature Conservancy counts more than one million members and has protected more than 117 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers in over 30 countries around the world. The non-profit organization also operates more than 100 marine conservation projects globally.
The Nature Conservancy notably relies on SES NEW SKIES satellite links to help monitor the fragile eco-system of the Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific, which it aims to preserve for future generations. The pristine waters of Palmyra harbor five times as many coral species as the Florida Keys, and its shores offer one of the few nesting areas for seabirds within 450,000 square miles. The lush vegetation of Palmyra's islets offers an untouched sanctuary to many rare and endangered species. A team of the world’s leading scientists has joined forces with The Nature Conservancy to launch a new research station on the Palmyra Atoll. Research focuses on climate change, disappearing coral reefs, invasive species and other global environmental threats.
"SES NEW SKIES has fundamentally changed the way we communicate," says Anders Lyons, The Nature Conservancy's Palmyra Program Director. "Our relationship with SES NEW SKIES has exponentially increased our ability to transfer information on and off of Palmyra Atoll."
States Rob Bednarek, President and CEO of SES NEW SKIES: “NSS-5’s vast oceanic coverage is ideally suited to provide vital communications links to remote islands and atolls. At SES NEW SKIES we are proud to support the important scientific work being conducted on Palmyra, and we remain committed to maintaining critical satellite capacity to cover essential communication requirements like those of The Nature Conservancy in even the most far-flung regions.”