Scientists from the Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom (UK) have begun an international scientific collaboration called The Maldives Knowledge Exchange Expedition to explore the depths of the Indian Ocean and gather vital data which will better inform governments and the scientific community worldwide as they tackle climate change.
The expedition is part of a wider five-week mission under the joint auspices of the Government of the Maldives and the UK marine research institute Nekton. The 10-strong knowledge exchange team will join scientists on the mission in what marks the start of a new era of scientific collaboration between scientists from the Indian Ocean and their UK colleagues. The expedition will undertake the first systematic discovery and documentation of ocean life in the Maldives from the surface to 1,000m. The expedition will deploy human-occupied submersibles, robots, autonomous systems, and over a dozen advanced subsea research technologies.
Announcing the pioneering project, Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture Dr. Hussein Rasheed Hassan said what happens to the Indian Ocean will affect half of the world’s population. He said the resilience, prosperity, and sustainable governance of our shared ocean can only be established through far deeper scientific understanding and regional cooperation.
Nekton stated that half of the world’s population will live on the shores of the Indian Ocean by 2050 and that it is currently the least known and the least protected ocean. It stated the Indian Ocean is warming three times faster than the Pacific Ocean causing increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events that threaten the lives and livelihoods of all in the region.
Mohamed Ahsan, from the Maldives Marine Research Institute and the Maldivian co-lead on the expedition, said they aim to establish new marine science leadership, share knowledge, and ultimately forge the foundations for greater scientific collaboration across the Indian Ocean. He will be focused on studying the distribution of fish larvae which form part of the plankton community.
British High Commissioner in the Maldives Caron Röhsler, whose government is supporting the expedition, said there is still time to avert the climate and biodiversity crises but only if people can find innovative ways to work together. She said developing and strengthening regional collaboration is essential and that the commitment of the Maldives to sustainable management and conservation of the ocean is a beacon in the Indian Ocean.
Professor Lucy Woodall, Nekton Principal Scientist, Department of Biology, the University of Oxford who is leading Nekton’s international scientific team, said they hope the expedition will help reset the expectations for mutually beneficial ocean science, which brings together some of the brightest minds and cutting-edge technologies to tackle urgent national and regional priorities.
The Nekton Maldives Mission has been co-defined by the Government of the Maldives with Nekton’s international scientific team. Scientists from the Maldives, the UK, India, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, South Africa, and Europe are participating. New species will be named by Maldivian names and all data is owned and vested by the Government of Maldives.