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GVI Seychelles
March 2014, Issue 2
Spring 2016, Issue 4

Inside this Issue

Rainwater Harvesting Terrapins on Curieuse Island Childrens Artwork Calendar Coral Bleaching GVI Charitable Trust Assisting with Black Parrot Research UniSey Work Based Experience Placement National Scholarship Programme

Introduction
It has been a busy three months since the first edition of the GVI Seychelles Newsletter, with plenty of new and exciting developments. Hawksbill nesting season has come to an end and sea temperatures are on the rise. As we leave rainy season behind us and enter the drier months it is hoped our newly implemented rainwater harvesting systems at Cap Ternay will begin to prove beneficial. The Charitable Trust has witnessed its first fundraising event of the year and we are currently looking forward to a second on Curieuse Island. As ever we hope you enjoy reading the newsletter and welcome your feedback.

Water, water, everywhere

The previous edition of the newsletter highlighted how the GVI Seychelles Curieuse Island research base has reduced its carbon footprint by switching to renewable energy with the installation of a solar system. Globally, climate change initiatives are a big part of the work GVI undertakes and the marine research team at the Cap Ternay expedition base has been looking at ways to capture and use more of the rainfall we receive. Despite recent late deluges, rainy season is now almost at an end. As the months go by, pressure on local reservoirs will increase, no doubt leading to the now annual water rations for many parts of Mah. With water such a precious resource it is important that those of us connected to the mains supply try to reduce the amount we use and find ways to reuse our grey water. Even when connected to a water supply, rainwater harvesting can be hugely beneficial. Aside from reducing the demand on existing water resources, a rainwater harvesting system is able to provide a useful supplementary supply and act as an important backup when the main supply is not available. The new system at Cap Ternay collects rainwater from roof guttering and transfers it directly into a 1000 litre water container. The water container then feeds into specially designed tanks for washing SCUBA diving equipment. The inside of the tanks are sloped and allow water to be easily drained and collected. Once collected the water can then be reused for other purposes.

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Terrapin found on Curieuse ISLAND

Curieuse Island never ceases to amaze us with its wildlife and new finds are still being made here. We awoke one Saturday morning to find a note from the volunteers saying they had found a baby giant tortoise on the research base. This in itself would have been a very exciting find because as of yet none have ventured here to our part of the island. We found three volunteers sat admiring the reptile in front of them, it was not however a young giant tortoise but a terrapin. We were able to identify the terrapin as a yellow-bellied mud terrapin, Pelusios castanoides intergularis. After doing some more research and talking to Seychelles National Parks Authority (SNPA) and local scientists it appears that there had been no written records of the terrapin on Curieuse Island. SNPA have reported that the terrapins have been frequently spotted during the wet season since they were introduced by in the 1980s as a conservation measure. We recorded its weight, measured the width and length of its carapace, and took many photos in order to get our species identification of the terrapin confirmed by others. The yellow bellied mud terrapins have a hinged plastron (underside) that enables them to withdraw their head and forelimbs for protection. They feed mainly in the water on invertebrates, fish and fruits. They can also be found living in damp muddy areas. Curieuse Island has many inland marsh areas that expand during the wet season possibly creating more habitats for them. Wet season is also thought to be their breeding season so more may be seen if they are migrating to breeding areas during this time. The finding opens up the possibility of implementing a new terrapin survey on Curieuse in the near future in order to find out more about the population on the island.

Childrens Artwork Calendar Competition

In May 2013 GVI Seychelles and the Seychelles National Parks Authority together with the Ministry of Education ran a competition in schools in the Seychelles as part of the Mangrove Action Project (MAP) International Children Artwork Calendar contest. MAP is an organization dedicated to reversing the degradation and loss of mangrove ecosystems worldwide. Each year MAP invites school children from tropical and sub-tropical nations to create artwork detailing why mangroves are important. Selected winners are then published in an international calendar with the aim of raising awareness of mangrove forest ecology. A number of schools in the Seychelles took part in last years competition and several examples of artwork were sent to the MAP headquarters in the USA. In December of 2013 confirmation was received that a drawing by 13-year-old Nahila Volcere from Belonie Secondary School had been selected for inclusion in the 2014 calendar. Nahilas vibrant depiction of a mangrove ecosystem with a variety of wildlife (picture below) impressed the judges. Though only Nahilas artwork was chosen for inclusion in the calendar the top three pieces of artwork from the Seychelles were awarded with certificates by MAP as well as a copy of the calendar. This is the first time the Seychelles has had artwork included in the international calendar and hopefully the inclusion of Nahilas wonderful artwork will help towards raising the issue of mangrove conservation in the Seychelles and bring it to a global audience. The competition for the 2015 calendar is already underway and we wish all the participating schools the best of luck. Anyone wishing to purchase a copy of the calendar can do so by visiting: http://mangroveactionproject.org/

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The power of recovery

Programme with the aim of assessing how individual colonies respond to bleaching events and to ascertain whether recovery is genera specific or linked to morphology, depth or sunlight. Line Intercept Transects (LIT) were conducted at two depth along fixed line transects, while coral colonies representing fourteen genera were tagged and photographed (see below). The colonies were revisited every two weeks and further images taken alongside recordings of water temperature. Despite several of the colonies being severely bleached and lacking almost all pigmentation, over the following weeks as SSTs lowered many of them recovered. In total 94% of the colonies displayed full recovery within two months of having been tagged. Whether the colonies in question expelled their zooxanthellae as part of an adaptive bleaching response or due to other factors is not clear. What is likely, is that the balanced biological and ecological integrity of the Baie Ternay coral reef, brought about in part by the lack of coastal development and the protection afforded by its marine park status, contributed to the colonies resilience. Many of the colonies that were tagged back in 2010 and survived the bleaching event continue to thrive today. One particular colony of Acropora sp. which, measured 12cm x 15cm four years ago, now measures an impressive 50cm x 60cm. Low levels of pollution and turbidity coupled with a balanced functional diversity within the reef play an important role in coral health and may directly affect a corals ability to deal with a period of stress. As such Marine National Parks can be useful tools in helping to build coral reef resilience.

As we approach April and annual sea temperatures around the inner islands begin to peak, coral reefs are once again susceptible to bleaching. The last bleaching event although relatively minor occurred in 2010 when after a considerable period of warm sea temperatures within the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles was placed on Bleaching Alert Level 1. At the time observations of coral colonies along the coast of northwest Mah indicated significant bleaching, particularly within shallower areas as SSTs remained high for the time of year. At the start of May 2010 the extent of coral bleaching within the Baie Ternay Marine National Park indicated as many as 80% of Acropora spp. colonies in less than 2m of water, displayed signs of bleaching. A further fourteen coral genera had been recorded as bleached down to a depth of 16m. At the time GVI designed and implemented a Coral Bleaching Monitoring

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GVI Charitable Trust

Over the coming months there will be further GVI events with the aim of raising additional funds for the two nominated organisations. On March 28th the staff and volunteers on Curieuse Island will be taking part in Curieuse Island Monopoly. This real life version of the popular board game will require teams to traverse the island completing challenges as they go. The event should be a lot of fun but more importantly will raise funds to directly assist the SSPCA with the excellent work they undertake within the Seychelles. The GVI Charitable Trust was formed in 2005 to provide disaster relief to communities in Guatemala following the devastation caused by Hurricane Stan. The Charitable Trust is a non-political, non-religious charity that has grown to support projects in over 20 countries. On Mah GVI Seychelles has been raising money for the Presidents Village Childrens Home since 2010. Over the years money raised through the trust has paid for Christmas presents for the children, including clothes and shoes and a pair of bicycles for the home. Funds have also been used to cover the cost of ferry tickets to Praslin enabling the children to go camping. Currently the marine research base at Cap Ternay is raising money to pay for a solar installation at the childrens home. Enabling the Presidents Village to switch to a renewable energy source will help reduce their future electricity bills and is inline with GVIs commitment to combat climate change. In addition to the fundraising activities, GVI volunteers accompany kids from the Childrens Home on weekly snorkeling trips with a view to fostering a love for the marine environment. On the 23rd of February 2014 staff and volunteers from the marine expedition took part in the Seychelles Eco-Healing Marathon to raise money for the Presidents Village Childrens Home. A total of 26 participants joined competitors from all over the world to run distances ranging from 5km to 21.1km. On a hot sunny Sunday morning in Beau Vallon all the GVI participants managed to complete their distances and in the process they raised over SCR 23,000. While the Marine Expedition on Mah is raising money for the Presidents Village Childrens Home, the Curieuse Island research team are fundraising for the Seychelles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA). Heading back to Mah, and on Thursday June 12th the GVI Marine Expedition will be hosting the 3rd Annual Raft Race for Rupees. Held each year within the Baie Ternay Marine Park the Raft Race requires a team of four competitors to complete a predetermined course on a homemade raft in the quickest time possible. Once again the event will be raising money for the Presidents Village Childrens Home. Winners of the last two years events, the Seychelles National Parks Authority, will once again be competing in the hope of retaining their crown. Any other organisations wishing to participate please contact: capternay@gviworld.com for further details. Anyone wishing to donate to what is a very good cause can do so by visiting: http://www.justgiving.com/GVI-CurieuseMonopoly The page will be active for one month following the completion of the event.

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March 2014, ISSUE 2

Assisting with black Parrot research

The black parrot, Coracopsis nigra barklyi, is the national bird of the Seychelles and it is one of the endemic birds of the inner granitic islands. The only population is found in the Valle de Mai on the island of Praslin, however in the past there have been sightings of them feeding on Curieuse. The Seychelles Island Foundation (SIF) began collecting research on the black parrots around 4 years ago. They wanted to find out more about these charismatic birds such as their feeding and breeding ecology to better understand the threats the birds may face. Full time monitoring begins during September, the start of their breeding season, it involves searching for and observing potential nest sites and listening for breeding calls, which are unique to each female. Once a nest has been located a camera can be lowered into the hollow Coco de Mer trunk to see if the female has laid any eggs. After a nest site has been confirmed a small access door is made in the tree trunk at the height of the nest, this allows regular monitoring of the chicks until they are ready to fledge. Last month GVI Science Coordinator Nol Dunn and Science Officer Kate Quinton were lucky enough to help Terence Payet and Patrick Woods, two of SIFs black parrot researchers in the Valle de Mai, with checks on some of the black parrot chicks. Black parrots often nest in the hollow tree trunks of Coco de mer trees so getting to the chicks proved to be an interesting task. We found you need some vital pieces of equipment, ladders, ropes and a fondness of heights. A ladder is tied with special knots to four trees with four ropes so it stands securely just in front of the Coco de Mer with the nest, the ladder cant be leant against the tree in case it is unstable. Once secure you need a willing volunteer to climb up the vertical ladder to get the chicks. After getting harnessed up, Kate started her ascent to the access door and was amazed to find, two black parrot chicks squawking from within. Kate carefully placed the birds into individual bags to keep them calm, before descending the ladder. Measurements of the birds were then taken, including wing length, weight and beak height. One was much bigger than the other and was ready to be ringed. They receive a ring on each leg and each black parrot has a unique colour combination to aid identification in the field. According to Kate, being able to get this close to one of the Seychelles most unique birds was an amazing experience Five chicks were successfully measured and GVI would like to thank SIF and Terence and Patrick for providing a glimpse of their black parrot monitoring project. In February 2014, University of Seychelles student Abel Sorry joined the GVI Seychelles Marine Expedition for his Work Based Experience placement as part of GVIs National Scholarship Programme. Abel spent four weeks on the marine expedition at Cap Ternay learning to dive and undertake scientific monitoring of coral reef fish species; here is what Abel had to say about the experience in his own words. Hi, I am Abel and have been on the GVI camp for three weeks now. I came through the University of Seychelles WBE programme and I actually came here without any diving experience. During these three weeks Ive completed my PADI Open Water course as well as my Advanced Open Water. I have also been learning a great deal about fish monitoring and the different methodologies used to actually do that and will be surveying at various sites around the Northwest of Mah.

Work Based Experience

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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. PADI Dive Instructor Lee Bush, puts Abel through his paces as part of the PADI Advanced Open Water course. Apart from the daily dives GVI has given me the opportunity to meet other people and socialize just like a family would. To live with other people of different nationalities and backgrounds has been a great experience for me. One major experience for me is in the field of cooking. During these three weeks I have learned to prepare several different (though not necessarily complicated) dishes and I had the opportunity to cook one of my traditional dishes for the group, which I believe everyone enjoyed. GVI Seychelles scholarships include: I would also encourage anyone wanting to participate in such marine expeditions to join this great GVI family and help in the global challenge of research and environment protection, especially in the face of climate change. The reason why I wanted to join GVI was basically because I believe that environmental research and protection is important and critical for a small island such as Seychelles and it is only by participating and at times volunteering that one can make a real difference for the future generations to come. The staff will certainly miss having Abel around the research base and hope that one day he returns to help us with monitoring the coral reefs of northwest Mah. We would like to wish him all the best for the remainder of his course at the University of Seychelles. 4 weeks on project site (minimum) Food and shared accommodation while on project base PADI Advanced Open Water training and certification (marine only) PADI Coral Reef Research Diver Speciality Certification (marine only) Species identification and survey methodology training Emergency First Responder Training Personal Mentor GVI runs NSP programmes in over 20 countries worldwide to enable and fund local nationals to participate in our programmes and receive all relevant training. When receiving applications for NSP programmes we are looking for candidates who can demonstrate a real interest in the relevant training opportunities of the programme and those that can explain how this opportunity will enrich their current interests and future pursuits. As an organization we hope to be able to use our resources to enrich local capacities and provide unique opportunities for local youths.

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

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