The Sargasso Sea is a vibrant and unique ocean ecosystem that provides critical food resources, breeding grounds and part of migratory routes for a great diversity of marine species and seabirds.
Yachts For Science is looking for vessels in the Bermuda area that could assist taking 2-3 marine researchers out to conduct sampling of the Sargassum community, associated plastic marine debris, and make seabird and marine mammal observations around Bermuda. Are you planning to stop in Bermuda later this year? Dr Robbie Smith has a lot of blue water sailing experience – so if you are short-handed this might also be an added bonus! For more information please contact Rosie@yachtsforscience.com

Yachts For Science fantastic work has been featured in the Robb Report this month: “Superyachts Lead a Double Life as Floating Labs for Ocean Research“. The article details how luxury sailing vessels are hosting scientists in remote areas, and seeing new marine sanctuaries resulting from their efforts. The trend of yachts being loaned out to scientists is becoming more common these days as owners make good on promises of promoting sustainability via their vessels. Read more here.

Yachts For Science are looking for vessels that can facilitate whale research in Bhaia De Bandoras, Mexico. 4-6 researchers will be heading to the area between December 23 – February 24. Dr. Joshua Stewart is a quantitative ecologist whose interests span animal movement, trophic ecology, and population dynamics with an emphasis on threatened species and ecosystems. The research team will be studying humpback whales, killer whales, and elusive beaked whales using drones, satellite tags, and acoustic buoys. Humpbacks overwinter in the Mexican breeding areas including Bahia de Banderas, and sightings of humpback breeding groups and mothers with newborn calves are extremely common in the winter months. Late January is an ideal season to study killer whales, which come into the bay to feed on newborn humpback calves and manta rays that are present in high numbers during the winter.

Interested yachts please: contact rosie@yachtsforscience.com

Yachts For Science expands research to cover Northern Maldives. After receiving crucial local knowledge from fishers in the region, Manta Trust researchers have recently started researching a unique population of manta rays in the Northern Atolls of the Maldives. Basing themselves on the remote Makunudhoo atoll, which draws huge aggregations of reef manta rays to its vast lagoon, they have been researching the marine megafauna there since 2022. With pristine coral reefs, and diverse megafauna such as blue whales, tiger sharks, and Risso’s dolphins, Makunudhoo atoll, and the surrounding atolls, are incredibly unique. Being far from the capital, marine research in this region is limited, and many reefs remain unexplored. Further research in this area is crucial to better understand and ensure the future survival of manta populations in the region.

Meet Dr. Goodbody-Gringley, Director of Research and Education at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute. CCMI are looking for vessels visiting the Caymen islands that have between 2 – 6 days which can offer support to divers doing vital survey work. The aim of this project is to characterize the biodiversity of benthic and pelagic communities at two unexplored offshore seamounts and nearshore deep reefs using a combination of in-situ surveys, photogrammetry, benthic mapping, and genetic analyses.
Locations: Cayman Islands: Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, 12-Mile Bank, Pickle Bank.
Berths Required: 2 – 8, min 2 divers.
Contact us to find out more.

This month YFS supported a collaboration between Project Seagrass, Swansea University and WWF, known as Seagrass Ocean Rescue. Over the last week Project Seagrass began a series of planting method trials in the intertidal zone across three different locations in the Solent: Priory Bay, Thorness and Beaulieu. To date, they have trialled the use of hessian bags, hessian seed ‘socks’ and Dispenser Injection Seeding (DIS), with hopes to trial more methods in the future. The trials aim to identify the most successful and efficient planting methods to enable increased germination survival in future restoration projects and to help further our understanding of restoration methods in a UK-context.

Project Seagrass is taking place in the Solent 18th – 21st March. Working with Dr Richard Unswroth, Associate Professor in marine ecology at Swansea University, where he uses field, desk based and aquaria research to solve real world problems in seagrass conservation and restoration. Richard’s expertise lie in the ecological structuring processes of seagrass meadows which has led to his leading role in seagrass restoration across the UK having led the UKs first major seagrass restoration project over in West Wales. The operation matched by YFS involves moving seagrass planting equipment from a loading point near Ryde and offloading the equipment on the beach at Priory Bay and again at Thorness Bay.

A new project being supported by YFS. Lydia runs Manta Watch NZ is an experienced marine ecologist and has worked with Manta rays since 2013. Watch more here. The biggest challenge for Manta Watch is consistent and quality time out in the field. The smaller vessels they use are heavily governed by weather, drastically reducing their time to data collect and tag. Larger vessels that can remain ‘on-station’ with better facilities onboard. This is where yachts for science is helping find Lydia and her team larger boats.

The bulk of the research is carried out between December and March, this is when the oceanic manta rays are most prolific in the Haruaki gulf and Northern NE cost of NZ North Island, from North Cape to East Cape. Would a project like this be of interest? Please contact Rosie@yachtsforscience.com for more information.

In 2018 scientists discovered a direct relationship between healthy seabird populations on islands and healthy reefs. Seabirds forage for food in the ocean they return to the islands and their droppings act as a natural fertiliser for the surrounding corals. Seabird densities and nitrogen deposition rates are 760 and 251 times higher, respectively, on islands where humans have not introduced rats. On rat-free islands, fish biomass and coral reef productivity is higher, with evidence that this may also provide some resilience to coral bleaching. Save Eagle Island is the Chagos Conservation Trust’s ambitious project that aims to ecologically restore the Chagos Archipelago’s second largest island and see the return of thriving seabird populations, and remove the rats. Yachts for Science is working together with Chagos Conservation trust finding yachts interested in supporting this project.

The Maldives is home to the world’s largest population of reef manta rays. However recently, a significant population of their larger cousins; the oceanic manta rays have been uncovered. Worryingly, this area is in close proximity to one of the world’s main oceanic manta fisheries in neighbouring Sri Lanka. Tens of thousands are killed every year for their gill plates. 800 manta rays have been identified, however, there are still many unknowns and continued observations are needed to confirm the timing and drivers of their movements. Yachts for Science is looking for vessels in the Maldives to take Simon and his team April – May 2023 for 10 days.