Translating science into conservation action
SHOW NOTES
We’re heading back to the Seychelles this week to chat with research and programme directors for the Save Our Seas Foundation D’Arros Research Centre (SOSF-DRC), Dr Rob Bullock and Henriette Grimmel! Both Rob and Henriette have lots of experience and knowledge in the application of scientific research to marine policy, spatial planning and conservation. And, where they live and work – D’Arros, located in the outer islands of the Seychelles – is the perfect example of how science can be applied to designate, manage and monitor a marine protected area (MPA). We talk about the whole process: from planning and carrying out research, to communicating that evidence to the decision-makers to get a designation, and deciding what management actions are needed. As we discuss, it’s a very long and complex process and one that involves many different groups of people. But, if done correctly, it can be so worth it. D’Arros offers a glimmer of hope – of what a near-pristine wilderness could look like.
But before we get onto the subject of D’Arros, we get to know Henriette and Rob first. Their most memorable ocean experience is a shared one that occurred in the waters surrounding D’Arros [07.24]. Some of the research conducted by the SOSF-DRC involves monitoring the manta ray population (more on this later!). Henriette and Rob were returning from one of their regular ‘manta cam’ dives at one of the cleaning stations, and came across one of the individuals they knew very well: a male manta called Jackson. Jackson decided to ‘hang out’ with the divers while he was getting cleaned by a couple of fish, and came extremely close – so close in fact, that he was an arm’s length from Rob’s face! The team had had many encounters with mantas before, but this experience felt different. Rob felt that Jackson was actively seeking them out, and describes seeing the manta observing him, trying to figure out what he was. This curiosity and apparent sentience is why so many are captivated by mantas, and for Rob and Henriette, this shared experience is still a stand-out memory.
Long before having mantas in the back garden, Rob’s fascination with ocean life began in childhood [11.38]. He remembers watching nature documentaries, particularly with Sir David Attenborough, and being enraptured with the marine episodes – a curiosity that was encouraged by his nana, who gifted Rob books about the underwater world. Henriette, on the other hand, was introduced to the ocean in her teens, during an exchange year in Seattle. There, she took a marine science class, which had an opportunity to go on a field trip to Hawaii, snorkelling and learning about the fish species that they observed. Henriette remembers being jealous of the qualified divers who were allowed to go deeper, and this planted the seed that later led her down the path of marine science and conservation.
Now, Henriette and Rob have their dream job on D’Arros, in roles that are hugely varied [15.27]. No two days look the same. One day, they might be looking for mantas or walking the white sand beaches, tagging turtles; the next, carrying out a coral reef survey underwater and helping visiting scientists in the field. Or, like any job, some days are spent behind a computer, taking care of admin. But the magic of D’Arros makes those office hours more than worth it.
The SOSF-DRC celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022, having come under the management of the Save Our Seas Foundation in 2012 [18.56]. Over that time, an incredible amount and variety of research has been conducted at the centre. There are now more than 25 projects that the centre has supported, 15 of which have been Masters and PhD projects – all showcasing how special a place D’Arros and the neighbouring atoll, St. Joseph, really is. For Henriette, the sheer diversity of life here is overwhelming. In Rob’s words, it is “teeming with life” and is unlike anywhere he has ever been before. Although it is not completely isolated from human activity, D’Arros and St. Joseph feel as close to a pristine wilderness as you could get in the modern world.
The presence of the Save Our Seas Foundation on the island has contributed substantially to its recovery from previous human impacts, like coconut plantations. But people still do use the surrounding environment, particularly fishers, and the effects of human-induced climate change are also apparent here [22.53]. Rob speaks about the coral bleaching event of 2016, which at the time severely impacted the coral cover around the islands. But researchers at the SOSF-DRC, who also discovered the extent of the bleaching, were able to show the potential of those reefs to recover following such devastating events; a glimmer of hope, and yet more reason to protect this incredible, and potentially resilient ecosystem. This type of long-term monitoring carried out by the centre is crucial to securing that protection, evidenced by the announcement of the new marine spatial plan set out by the government of the Seychelles in 2020.
That year, the government announced their intention to increase their marine protected area coverage to 30%, gazetting many new MPAs of different levels [25.55]. Gazetting means that boundaries of the MPAs have been published and made law, but changes to various laws and policy instruments had to be made to allow for the zonal measures actually to be implemented. This process took over three years, and has only just commenced in July 2023. This means that D’Arros is now a ‘zone 1’ MPA, also called a ‘Marine National Park’ – which automatically means it is no-take (i.e. no extractive or destructive practices are allowed within its boundaries). St Joseph is also protected under the new plan, but falls under a larger ‘Zone 2’ MPA within the Amirantes islands, which includes some fishing grounds. Within Zone 2, some activities, like fishing, are allowed, but only if they occur in a sustainable manner. These management measures are planned to come into legal effect in January 2024 – but there is still a long and difficult road ahead to iron out the finer details. For example, decisions need to be made as to who will govern these individual MPAs, who will enforce the measures and rules, and how they will be monitored. As Henriette says, the processes surrounding marine protection are always much more complex and long-term than they first appear [30.00]. Many different people, with varied interests, use the ocean for many different reasons. This introduces politics, and economic and social considerations, inevitably making planning and managing an MPA hugely difficult. But it is not impossible – if the process is carried out carefully, thoroughly, effectively and equitably. And this takes a lot of time, effort and collaboration. Rob and Henriette are trying to contribute to this process by keeping lines of communication open with other marine users in the area, building and maintaining relationships with them.
Another integral part of marine protection is generating robust scientific evidence to inform the decisions being made [33.44]. The last decade’s worth of science conducted at SOSF-DRC has been instrumental in getting D’Arros and St. Joseph recognised on a national scale and protected. A central pillar of the centre is its long-term monitoring programmes, including monitoring of nesting turtles (including green and hawksbill turtles), annual coral reef ‘health checks’, and monitoring of reef manta rays. D’Arros and St. Joseph are really important aggregation sites for reef mantas, and the team monitor them by conducting weekly boat surveys [38.00]. During these surveys, they freedive with the mantas to get photo ID of their distinctive belly spot patterns, which can be used to identify individual mantas and get uploaded to a dedicated catalogue. This helps the team to understand who is visiting the area, who they’re with, and for how long. They also monitor the cleaning stations using cameras placed on the seabed, which capture photos of the mantas’ underside as they visit the stations to get cleaned.
The team also have a long-term mark-recapture study on populations of juvenile sharks, which use the shallows of D’Arros as a nursery site [39.00]. This provides essential information on how big the populations are, their survival rates, where the nursery sites are and where the juveniles go afterwards. And, as if that wasn’t enough, there are also monitoring programmes for ground-nesting birds, Aldabra giant tortoises, marine litter and mangrove restoration! Alongside their ongoing research, the SOSF-DRC also supports external researchers who come to D’Arros to carry out their own research projects on a huge variety of topics.
But once you have the science, how do you then turn it into something actionable [41.31]? Bridging the gap between science, policy, and public is perhaps one of the biggest challenges in conservation, but one thing that Rob and Henriette try to do is maintain good relationships with other stakeholders, including the relevant ministries of the government that are responsible for the marine environment, to communicate their findings and advise on future management and policy. Another key area is public communication. Henriette mentions the team’s latest efforts to engage a wider audience on social media, posting educational reels that talk about life on D’Arros, as well as the magic of the environment that surrounds it. Similarly, Henriette believes that an indirect route to action is through the centre’s work and engagement with young Seychellois, via the SOSF-DRC’s kids camps, internships and student courses [44.40]. These programmes encourage young Seychellois to learn about their natural environment and teaches them skills to take forward into a career in science and conservation. In doing so, the SOSF-DRC is investing in future generations, who will not only inherit the environment, but also the protective measures and designations being put in place today.
The new MPAs are just the start of a long and exciting journey for the Seychelles. D’Arros and its surrounding area provide a shining example of what could be, and hopefully serves as a source of inspiration for other governments wanting to protect their seas.
ABOUT OUR GUESTS
DR ROB BULLOCK
Research director, SOSF-DRC
Rob can trace his love for science and the marine world back to his youth and to Sir David Attenborough, whose words instilled a curiosity that soon grew into a passion for learning about nature. As an adult, Rob pursued this passion, studying marine and freshwater biology at the University of Hull. As he learned more about the marine realm and its inhabitants, he became particularly interested in the importance of species in healthy ecosystems and the need for science-based conservation. Through his education he discovered the amazing diversity among sharks, the fascinating roles they play in marine systems and the extreme threats they face.
Rob conducted his PhD research at the Bimini Biological Field Station, where he worked as a Principal Investigator and studied the fine-scale behaviour of young lemon sharks using the Bimini Island nursery sites. He then moved on to broaden his skill set as a post-doctoral research associate with the Marine Biodiversity Unit of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), assessing extinction risk to marine species. Rob’s career thus far has taken him to the intersection of scientific research and conservation action and he is driven to deliver science with tangible conservation outcomes.
HENRIETTE GRIMMEL
Programme director, SOSF-DRC
Growing up in Germany and Switzerland, where competitive swimming and rowing meant that she spent a lot of time in and on water, Henriette has always had a strong connection to this element. Hiking and camping holidays with her family led to an enduring interest in animals and nature. She first dipped into marine biology while studying in the USA during a high-school exchange year, learning about marine species and snorkelling for the first time in Hawaii.
At university Henriette studied geography and environmental sciences and it took a few more years before she discovered an interest in diving in Lake Zurich and a fascination for sharks. She followed these up with saltwater experiences while volunteering in Mozambique, where she assisted in whale shark research and fish censuses. After further travels and a dive-master internship in Honduras, she went on to complete an Erasmus Mundus Master’s in marine biodiversity and conservation, conducting her field study at the Bimini Biological Field Station in The Bahamas. She gained further experience in marine research while working with the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute (LAMAVE) in the Philippines, where she helped to monitor a mobulid fishery and assisted in shark research in Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.
Although it was diving and sharks that got Henriette into marine science, she has always been interested in the complexities of ocean management and how humans interact with the marine world, so she completed a second Erasmus Mundus Master’s, this time in maritime spatial planning from the universities of Seville, the Azores and Iuav Venice. Sharks and conservation remain close to her heart, but Henriette also has a very strong interest in understanding ocean processes, ecosystem services and how humans use them, and finding a pathway to governing that use in a sustainable manner.
