Save Our Seas Foundation Announces Grant Winners

The Save Our Seas Foundation recently announced the winners and partners of the 2017 grant funding cycle. The Save Our Seas Foundation – D’Arros Research Centre is excited to host six researchers that are recipients of continuation grants and Keystone grant winners.

The Save Our Seas Foundation - D'Arros Research Centre, seen here from the air, will support the work of at least eight researchers who were recently announced as recipients of continuation grants, partnerships and Keystone Grants. Photo by Ryan Daly | © Save Our Seas Foundation

SOSF-DRC looks forward to welcoming Terence Vel, winner of a competitive and esteemed SOSF Keystone Grant, to D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll to conduct his research, a comparative terrestrial biodiversity assessment of the island complex. The comparative terrestrial biodiversity study will span multiple years and will provide insights into the extent and impact of the native broadleaf forest planting program run by the SOSF-DRC. Terence is based at the University of Seychelles and will supervise two Seychellois university students on D’Arros and St Joseph as part of this Keystone Grant.

In addition to the Keystone Grant awarded to Terence, SOSF-DRC welcomes the opportunity to continue to work with seven partners and continuation grant recipients. These include Dr Jeanne Mortimer, known nationally as Madanm Torti, who will enter her thirteenth year of community based turtle monitoring in the Seychelles and Dr Karl Fleischmann of the University of Seychelles, who will continue to coordinate research projects in the field of vegetation rehabilitation and nature conservation in the Seychelles.

The SOSF Continuation grant awarded to Lauren Peel will support her PhD research on reef manta rays in the Seychelles. Seen here in November 2016, Lauren pulls a plankton tow off the clean waters of D'Arros Island. Photo by Guy Stevens | © Save Our Seas Foundation

Guy Stevens, CEO of Manta Trust, will continue as a SOSF partner, along with Project Leader Lauren Peel who is conducting the fieldwork for her PhD on reef manta rays at the SOSF-DRC. Additional continuation grants went to Chantel Elston, Danielle van den Heever and Ornella Weideli for their work on stingrays, wedge-tailed shearwaters and juvenile sharks, respectively.