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New Expeditions field series - Conserving Chagos

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


Field season is getting busy. On Monday we started a new series on the Expeditions blog. And today we are starting another one.

Charles Sheppard is leading an expedition to the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean (about midway between Mauritius and Sri Lanka - see the map) and he (and in some cases his collaborators and students) will be posting daily dispatches from the trip.

Professor Charles Sheppard with the University of Warwick in the UK has led several scientific research expeditions to the Chagos Archipelago. Following early visits in the 1970s, expeditions he has organised since 1996 have involved over 100 scientists from numerous institutions, chosen to produce an integrated understanding of this archipelago. His speciality is the condition of coral reefs, especially those around the world that have suffered from human impacts. This specialization quickly led to recognition of the contrasting, remarkable, and unique condition of the huge area of reefs in Chagos: Chagos has escaped most of the impacts that have affected most of the world.


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The series started today. Check out the first post - Conserving Chagos: Science Expedition to World’s Largest “Ocean Park” - and keep coming back for more every day.