Expedition Research Locations

Expedition field research and training are conducted at specific sites of the Indo-Pacific. This vast region has the richest marine biodiversity on the planet, 5-10 times that of the Caribbean. Comparatively less research has been conducted in the Indo-Pacific, and particularly at mesophotic depths. Thus, this region provides a natural laboratory for research, exploration, and discovery.

The rich biodiversity of the Indo-Pacific has largely been attributed to its complex, often violent geological history, and interaction with oceanographic forces. The intensity of these factors is epitomised in the Coral Triangle, the epicentre of all marine biodiversity. Yet what is known of or even drives of the biodiversity at mesophotic depths is unknown.

My expedition field research is aimed at locating and characterising the shallow to mesophotic environments at select locations of the Indo-Pacific. We are targeting the most pristine environments, and often, the most remote.

It is the islands and atolls rising from the deep waters of the Indo-Pacific that yield the most compelling environments and biological surprises. It is also where the gorgonian corals are the most abundant and diverse, and are the focus of my research. Untangling the mechanisms driving such biological success is the reason for these expeditions; and to share the variety of techniques that give powerful data, which can also contribute to effective conservation management in areas that are at great risk.