Project Leader

SOSF-DRC Management

Who we are

Since its inception in 2012, the SOSF-DRC has been managed and run by different people in various capacities. Lab managers, research officers and research assistants have been integral to the daily operations of the centre over these years and our long-term projects have been handed on from past to present management.

Currently the SOSF-DRC is run by Dr Robert Bullock and Henriette Grimmel in a joint-management capacity.

The following is a history of past management staff:

  • Dr Rainer von Brandis (scientific director) 2006/2012–2016, previously did his PhD on D’Arros and managed the research lab for the previous owners of the island
  • Chris Boyes (lab manager, then research officer) 2013–2015
  • Kerryn Bullock (research assistant, then assistant lab manager) 2015–2016
  • Dr Ryan Daly (research officer, then scientific director/research director) 2016–2018
  • Clare Keating (research officer, then programme director) 2016–2018

Where we work

Our ‘office’ is first and foremost the waters around D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll. But it’s not all swimming in the ocean; on D’Arros we have our dry lab where we store and analyse all the data we collect. Here we also work on our computers to answer e-mails (such as an enquiry from you) or write up a paper. Next to the dry lab is the wet lab, where we store our equipment and samples and keep some specialised equipment for analysing samples.

What we do

We run the day-to-day operations of the SOSF-DRC and all ongoing long-term projects. We also assist general island operations where necessary and host visiting researchers and students who come to D’Arros for targeted projects. We support them with their research during the time they are on island.

Our projects

Project
Planting for the future

This project involves surveying the environs of all the islands within St Joseph Atoll for potential sites where mangroves could be re-introduced, planting mangroves at these sites and monitoring the success of the restoration attempts and the growth rates of the mangroves. Mangrove propagules are planted at the restoration sites and their growth is monitored over time. Important aspects of the study are to understand where in St Joseph Atoll mangroves occurred in the past and to identify the environmental conditions and habitat features that support their growth and success; this will help us to draft future plans for the habitat.

 

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Project
Watching the kids: nursery use in juvenile sharks

Understanding how different species of shark use St Joseph Atoll helps to define what they need from their environment and how we can best protect it. At least once a week the SOSF-DRC team visits the atoll to tag juvenile sharks at different locations in the lagoon. Juvenile Blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and Sicklefin lemon sharks (Negaprion acutidens) are caught with a small gillnet. Small passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags are inserted under each animal’s skin and then act as a unique identifier for that animal. Tissue samples for genetic analysis and standard measurements of each animal are taken and their sex and weight are also recorded. These data help us to understand population dynamics, pupping success, growth and survival rates and tell us about the areas of the atoll used by the different species and how these change as the young sharks grow. This long-term project builds on the existing database of the longest mark-and-recapture study in the Indian Ocean region, which was set up by Dr Ornella Weideli for her PhD research.

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Project
Rays for days

The lagoon of St Joseph Atoll provides a home for three ray species. Juvenile mangrove whiptail (Urogymnus granulatus), porcupine (U. asperrimus) and feathertail (Pastinachus ater) rays all inhabit the shallow waters around the atoll’s various islands. We tag these rays with small electronic (PIT) tags that become their ID numbers. We also measure them and take a tissue sample. As time goes by and we recapture individuals, we can learn about how many of them use the lagoon, where they go and how quickly they grow. All this is important information that helps us to understand how these rays use the site. We collect data for this project every month.

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Project
Measuring environmental data

To supplement much of the research conducted on site (e.g. coral monitoring and reef fish surveys) and to help better understand the lives of the animals using D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll, it is important to measure and monitor environmental conditions. One of the most important of these is sea temperature. A series of small loggers deployed at different areas and depths around the islands constantly record the water temperature. Additionally, via our on-site weather station, we collect meteorological data every day, including on wind, rainfall and air temperature.

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Project
Turtle tracks in the sand

D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll have been identified as one of the most important areas in Seychelles and the broader Western Indian Ocean for Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and Green (Chelonia mydas) turtles, with both species using the beaches for nesting. We continually monitor their presence at the islands, collecting data both from individual animals present on the beaches and from the tracks they leave behind. From these we can estimate the population sizes and growth of these two turtle species.

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