Mapping the St Joseph Atoll in the Seychelles with Drone Adventures

The Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) collaborated with Drone Adventures in November 2015 to map the St Joseph Atoll – adjacent to D’Arros Island – in the Amirantes, Seychelles. The resulting high resolution (15cm) maps, at low- and high-tide, present a very useful tool for research projects undertaken at the SOSF D’Arros Research Centre and provide a baseline to study the evolution of the local ecosystem over time. The ultra-high resolution (1cm) transects conducted across the Atoll allow for population studies of juvenile sharks, stingrays and turtles. This expedition represents the first ever use of drones to map a marine ecosystem and open the door for important conservation work using drones.