Spring 2016, Issue 4

The Seychelles chapter of SYAH knows that

sustainable development is not just up to

government officials, but it is the right and

responsibility of today's youth to have a voice.

SYAH, the SIDS (Small Island Developing

States) Youth AIMS Hub is a recently

registered group of young people from 18-30

years old from Seychelles, who have come

together to speak up on environmental,

sustainable development, public health and

education, issues. Recently they successfully

produced a document, which was brought to

the United Nations Samoa SIDS conference.

They may not have been able to travel across

the world themselves, but their actions have

ensured that the needs, rights, and views of

Seychellois young people receive attention.

On Sunday March 15th the group visited GVI at

Cap Ternay to share experiences with our

volunteers and staff and participate in a day of

activities.

Starting the day were two staff lectures, first on

GVI's projects around the world and Cap

Ternay's community engagement activities

followed by information on the development

and importance of marine research and how we

support marine conservation efforts through our

data collection. Together with our volunteers,

we ventured down to Bay Ternay beach with

two dozen rubbish bags and three times as many

hands, ready to gather all the rubbish that has

been washing up from sea with the changing

winds. We filled our truck with several bags of

rubbish, before heading back for a delicious

BBQ feast. After lunch we split up into two

groups, one to tackle the hike up Cap Matoopa

for the stunning view of Bay Ternay and Port

Launay, and the other to take to the reef for a

short snorkel where we spotted many fish

species and two whitetip reef sharks! Thanks to

SYAH for making the day such a success ,we

hope that they enjoyed the day as much as we

did.

Inside this Issue

SYAH

Magical Mangroves

TRASS

COTS Removal

Curieuse Base Improvements

Charitable Trust

National Scholarship Programme

GVI Seychelles March 2015, Issue 6

Syah visit cap ternay

As we approach the end of the first quarter

of 2015, this year looks like being even

busier than the last. The first three months

have certainly been eventful, with plenty of

unexpected developments.

On Curieuse Island, the hawksbill nesting

season is coming to an end as we switch our

attention to the annual Giant Tortoise

census. While on Mah, the Cap Ternay

team continue to gather important data on

the coral reefs of northwest Mah.

Introduction

Magical mangroves

Seven species of mangrove are found in Seychelles, of which six were

once present on Curieuse (SNPA 2012). Mangrove systems play an

important part in ensuring a high level of water quality and clarity,

and are essential for coral reef ecosystems by trapping sediment and

filtering land run-off. Mangroves are also vital nurseries for fish,

sharks and crustaceans and are an important habitat for birds. The

mangroves on Curieuse Island are rich in fauna and a stroll along the

boardwalk often provides sightings of some of the creatures that

make the mangroves their home.

In recent years the grey heron (Ardea cinerea) has started nesting

within the mangroves, while there has also been sightings of the

Seychelles Blue Pigeon (Alectroenas pulcherrimus) attempting to nest.

In addition to birds, the mangroves are home to numerous species of

fish and crustacean.

The mangrove forest on Curieuse Island is in a state of flux, and

changes to the structure of the mangrove population are happening

quickly. The main aim of the GVI Seychelles mangrove surveys is

to provide baseline data, which will help facilitate decision-making

regarding the placement of mangrove nurseries in the future.

Current surveys are being conducted to determine the mangrove

distribution pattern in relation to hydrology and salinity.

A separate study of juvenile lemon sharks (Negaprion acutidens)

using mark-recapture should hopefully provide additional

information regarding the importance of the Curieuse Island

mangroves as a key nursery ground.

Grey herons nest in the mangroves on Curieuse Island

GVI SEYCHELLES

0

20

40

60

80

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

# Tr

ees/

Sapl

ings

Section of the Mangrove Forest

Rhizophora mucronata

Brugueira gymnorhiza

Avicennia marina

Xylocarpus granatum

Xylocarpus molluccensis

Lumnitzera racemosa

Distribution of mangrove species (trees and saplings) throughout sections of the forest. Section 1 denotes the front of the mangroves where the forest and Baie Laraie meet, and Section 8 denotes the landward edge of the forest.

Mudskippers are common within the mangrove forest.

A day out with trass

On Saturday February 28th 2015, a large group of GVI volunteers

and staff embarked on an early trip over to Praslin and to Fond

BOffay where they were met by the enthusiastic Sharon and other

local volunteers. After a quick introduction and talk about the work

of T.R.A.S.S. we all got stuck in with clearing, cutting, and

cleaning around the new plant nursery that has recently been built.

The work was completed within a few hours, however we had

assisted with a big job that would have taken the small team of

T.R.A.S.S. members much longer to complete. The GVI team

really enjoyed taking part in an activity outside of Curieuse Island

and helping an organisation that was really pleased to have the extra

pairs of hands to help them out. After some very lovely snacks and a

big thank you from the T.R.A.S.S. team, we headed back to

Curieuse Island just across the way and enjoyed a well-deserved rest

on the beach and a BBQ that evening!

The GVI team hopes to provide more assistance to T.R.A.S.S. in

the future when their next phase of planting on degraded land starts

later this year, and we hope that we can continue to help such an

important organisation and their friendly members in any way we

can. A big thank you to all the volunteers and staff who took time

out of their weekend to help out, and a MASSIVE thank you to the

T.R.A.S.S. team for being so welcoming. Till the next time!

The GVI Curieuse Island volunteers and staff are proud of the

amazing work they undertake on Curieuse Island. The team are

always willing to get stuck in and recently they had the opportunity

to assist another local organization on Praslin. Throughout the

second half of 2014 the GVI team assisted its principle partners, the

Seychelles National Parks Authority (SNPA), with a revegetation and

regeneration programme across Curieuse Island to help restore its

native and endemic plant species that have been lost to degradation

and forest fires. More recently, in the spirit of sharing knowledge

and resources, the GVI Seychelles Curieuse Island team has assisted

the local environmental organisation on Praslin named T.R.A.S.S. or

the Terrestrial Restoration Action Society of Seychelles.

T.R.A.S.S. is a locally registered NGO, which was launched on 27th

September 2009 by a group of concerned and committed individuals

who saw the degradation of Praslins landscape as a worrying and

pressing issue that required action. The Seychelles has impressive

and ecologically important tropical forests and continued landscape

degradation is of great concern, particularly on Praslin, which is

home to the rare and endemic Coco de Mer palm (Lodoicea

maldivica). The principle aims of T.R.A.S.S. and its dedicated

volunteer members is to mobilise actions by interested parties for

restoration, enhancement, maintenance, and safeguarding of such

areas especially those affected by namely forest fires.

Volunteers from GVI Seychelles and T.R.A.S.S. take a well earned break for a photograph.

3

Crown of thorns sea star

The Crown of Thorns Sea star (COTS) is no stranger to Seychelles

coral reefs. Over the past few years there have been several

outbreaks along the coast of northwest Mah, with large numbers

of COTS seen in the Beau Vallon bay area. Last year was no

exception and GVI Seychelles assisted with removal campaigns on

the reefs frequented by dive centres in Beau Vallon.

Recently GVI have staff noticed an increase in COTS towards the

western side of the Baie Ternay Marine National Park. If left

undisturbed these outbreaks can cause widespread damage as the

sea stars eat their way through the fields of Acropora coral. This

was particularly worrying given Baie Ternays National Park status

and so GVI teamed up with the Seychelles National Parks

Authority to remove these voracious marine invertebrates from the

reef.

On the day we were fortunate to have good weather and

excellent visibility, which enabled us to surface snorkel and

quickly identify the outbreak. COTS are a natural part of the

reef ecosystem and usually feed at night, but for reasons that

are still unclear, though are likely linked to the removal of their

natural predators, sporadic population explosions can lead to a

catastrophic loss of coral. It was therefore easy to identify the

outbreak, with numerous sea stars congregated in an area

actively feeding during daylight hours. Patches of coral were

white, where the COTS had digested the soft tissue from the

coral skeleton.

Armed with spikes a team of six divers descended on the reef

and began removing the sea stars. It was tiring work but in

sixty minutes the team managed to remove 97 COTS from a

section of reef. Following a surface interval the divers returned

to the water, this time spreading out to look for pockets of sea

stars and covering more area of the reef. A further 39 COTS

were collected and removed from the Marine National Park.

It was a successful day with 136 sea stars removed from the

Baie Ternay reef but the COTS issue is clearly not one that is

going away. GVI and SNPA will be keeping a lookout for

future spikes in numbers along the coast of northwest Mah

and are ready to mobilise a removal team at the first sign of an

outbreak.

GVI staff member Emma Miller collects a trio of COTS from the reef. A Crown of Thorns Sea star feeding on coral.

Curieuse base improvements

Our next focus has been the water supply for camp, and we have

recently acquired two new water tanks to be used for rainwater

collection and also for water storage for times when water in the

reservoir is running low. The extra water capacity will certainly

help with maintaining a good supply of water to all these facilities.

Over the past 3 months, we have been renovating two other

buildings, which will become the dorms for volunteers as we look

to expand capacity on the Curieuse Island project. The GVI

Seychelles Curieuse Island research base is undergoing an amazing

expansion and upgrade process that will not only allow for

increased volunteer numbers but greater development of the

science programme we run in collaboration with SNPA. A lot of

hard work has undergone in the past few months and we all want to

say a BIG thank you to all our volunteers and staff for the excellent

work they have done in helping improve and expand the Curieuse

Island base!

Here on Curieuse Island, we live the simple life. Naturally sourced

water resources, solar panels for our small electrical needs, garden

patch for herbs and vegetables, communal bunk bed dorms for

accommodation and open-air dining facilities.

With the GVI Seychelles project moving from strength to strength

every year and with increases in volunteer numbers continuing to help

us develop our programme of work, GVI Curieuse now finds itself in a

position whereby we can expand our humble abode to allow more

volunteers and staff to have the chance to experience living and

working in this unique environment. Since the beginning of the year,

staff and volunteers on the Curieuse base have been working very hard

to expand and upgrade the existing facilities, and the work continues

apace to this day.

Our first challenges have been focused on upgrades around camp,

including a re-vamp of the electrical wiring and connecting those parts

of camp that previously did not have power. Our resident Scottish

handy-man Alan, has been working very hard and has now re-wired

all of the camp and also installed power in the Science Room and the

Kit Room. There have also been some other new additions to the

Science Room, with new posters full of information about all of our

surveys and their objectives; our previous Charitable Trust events; the

history of GVI in Seychelles and in general; and also more information

regarding our project partners, Seychelles National Park Authority

(SNPA). The Science Room now looks very sciencey!

5

The new volunteer dorm on Curieuse Island

The dining area at the GVI Curieuse research base

GVI SEYCHELLES December 2014, ISSUE 5

The gvi charitable trust

In March, the GVI Curieuse crew participated in a charity challenge

to raise money for the Seychelles Society for the Prevention of

Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA). The inspiration for this charity

challenge came from the famous TV show, The Amazing Race,

where teams race around the world completing various challenges.

The race began first by dressing in the team colours (yellow, blue,

or green) with powder paint and getting into the competitive spirit.

Each team passed the first challenge before moving to the Rangers

station (a popular hangout spot for the giant tortoises), where each

challenge included the tortoises. One of the challenges involved

taking seven selfies with seven different tortoises in an allotted time

while another was to locate a particular tortoise pre-determined by

the judges. The next set of challenges took place in the mangroves

then last but not least, a snorkeling challenge took place off Anse St.

Jose. Teams took a break and after a tasty BBQ, convened again to

partake in the pop quiz. Questions involved Curieuse history and

critters, music and pop culture as well as Seychelles facts.

The Amazing Curieuse Race helped to raise over 300 for the

SSPCA. Leading up to the race friends and family members of our

staff and volunteers sponsored their team of choice, donating

money. This gave teams with the most amount of money an

advantage at the start, and also gave them an incentive for team

fundraising. The SSPCA aims to provide care and treatment to the

population of stray, neglected, mistreated and abused animals in the

Seychelles. The charity challenge was a huge success and we are

pleased to be raising money for such an incredibly important cause.

Not to be outdone, at Cap Ternay four teams embarked on a mission

to test their physical and mental strength to win the glory (and prize)

of being the 2015 champion of the Cap Ternay Amazing Race. For

weeks they fundraised, petitioning family, friends, and colleagues

back home to donate funds to support their team, and by the time the

race started we had already raised over 600 for the Presidents

Village Childrens Home. But despite the work they'd put in over the

past few weeks, no one knew what was ahead of them in this day of

challenges, puzzles, and riddles. Throughout the day teams would

face elimination until only two teams faced the final few challenges

and raced to the finish line.

To start the game, each team faced a riddle; when you need me, you

throw me out; when you don't, you pull me in. Teams trickled away one

by one until one shouted "it's the anchor!" and the race really began.

On the beach was an obstacle course with staff members ready to

challenge each team.

The second round of the games had teams running into the shallow

waters to collect color-coded balloons and decode a puzzle. The race

was then on to Port Launay, where a picnic lunch and relaxing swim

break allowed everyone to cool off and energize again. Finally, two

teams had to compete with each other in a kayak race through the

mangroves towards the finish line.

After a long, fun

day, team El Fuego

was the winner,

having pulled

ahead on almost

every leg of the

race. Sweaty and

tired, it was a fun

day in the sun for

all teams and we

celebrated with a

cold dip in a

nearby waterfall

and a sunset beach

bbq. Thanks to everyone who donated and helped make it such a

successful day!

GVI SEYCHELLES

7

National scholarship programme

The National Scholarship Programme is free to any Seychellois aged 18

years or over with a background/interest in marine or terrestrial

conservation and enables individuals to gain valuable practical

experience in marine/terrestrial research monitoring techniques.

Chosen candidates join a team of international staff and volunteers on

either our marine or terrestrial expedition and participate in the day to

day running of the base while learning about conservation here in

Seychelles.

To apply for GVI Seychelles Marine Conservation or Island

Conservation Scholarship please send a CV, a statement of interest and

a reference to seychelles@gviworld.com

Follow GVI Seychelles

Website - www.gvi.co.uk

Charitable Trust website - www.gvi.org

Facebook -

https://www.facebook.com/GVISeychellesMaheCurieuse

Twitter - https://twitter.com/GVISeychelles

Instagram - #GVITRAVEL

In March GVI Seychelles was happy to receive two National Scholars

from the Save Our Sea Foundation, who joined the Marine

Conservation Expedition at Cap Ternay for one month. Irma Dubois

and Fred Hypolite joined the programme to improve their diving and

marine monitoring skills and here Irma gives us a brief overview of her

time at Cap Ternay.

I Irma Dubois, 19 years old, never saw myself where I am today. I

remember cracking my head thinking how on earth am I going to afford

an open water course, not having a job and not knowing if I was going

to make it to university. And now its only been a few months since

then and I already have my advanced open water, and Im learning

about the different types of fish which is part of what I always wanted to

do. There is actually a topic called threats to the reef and everything else

in class related to the ocean I had been waiting for this moment all my

life and here it is.

When Abi talked to me about GVI I was absolutely thrilled and I kept

praying she would keep her word and everything would go smoothly. I

impatiently waited and waited for that day until it finally came. I was a

little bit worried about my diving skills as I had just completed my open

water, which was thankfully paid for by the Save Our Seas Foundation.

GVI is everything I expected it to be only better ,I have made friends

which I didnt think I would, when Im here at GVI I dont really think

about home because I am constantly surrounded by good company and I

could not wish for anything better. My dorm mates are all great to me,

they are like this little temporary family, and Im going to be very sad

leaving them after.

Diving itself gets better every day, plus Im gaining a lot of new skills

here, we did an EFR course, learned how to operate a compressor,

boat helping including how to make knots amongst lots of other things.

At the moment I am learning to survey and hope I get signed off, I am

also hoping to learn about the other groups: inverts and corals.

I am positive that GVI will make a huge difference for me in the end.

So thank you everyone that made this possible for me.