International Expedition Team Assesses Impact of Tsunami on Coral Reefs in Western Indian Ocean: A Three Week Expedition Utilizes Vessels on Sea and Air to Conduct Unprecedented Research

An international coral reef assessment group, jointly co-ordinated by Dr Tom Spencer and CAPT Phil Renaud, Executive Director of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, and led in the field by Annelise Hagan of the Department of Geographys Coastal Research Unit, departed for the Seychelles on 7 January to assess tsunami impacts on the coral reefs and shallow banks of the southern Seychelles (5-10 deg S). - Daily updates from the expedition will be posted on the web-site: www.livingoceansfoundation.org.

(PRWEB) January 10, 2005 -- The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation will conduct a three week scientific research expedition aboard the Golden Shadow, a 216 ft logistics support vessel, in the southern islands of the Republic of the Seychelles from January 10th through January 28th. Live education updates will be provided through an innovative Content Management System" specifically designed for this research project. The expedition is a partnership between the Living Oceans Foundation, Cambridge Coastal Research Unit (University of Cambridge, UK) and the Republic of the Seychelles Center for Marine Research and Technology. A seaplane embarked on the Golden Shadow will be equipped with a state of the art multispectral imager that will digitally map" the condition of the coral reefs over a vast area of the Seychelles Islands

This survey will determine the extent of coral bleaching" caused by that El Nino event. This survey has taken on even greater importance due to the recent Tsunami that affected vast regions of the Indian Ocean.

The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is a 501(c)(3), American public benefit organization dedicated to conservation and restoration of living oceans and pledges to champion their preservation through research, education and a commitment to Science Without Borders®.

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