Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology Aishath Shauna has joined the Nekton Maldives Mission trip to collect samples from 250-270m underwater. She joined the trip upon the invitation of Nekton.
Describing the underwater experience, Minister Shauna said it was incredible to join and experience the dramatic and spectacular systems upon which the islands are formed is a site to behold. She said being able to witness it was truly a joy. However, she expressed distress over an empty coffee can found under 250m reminding her how ocean pollution is destroying the marine environment. She said that many information unknown before will be disclosed following the findings. She revealed that some species found in the Atlantic Ocean were also found in Maldivian waters.
Scientists from the Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom (UK) began an international scientific collaboration called The Maldives Knowledge Exchange Expedition to explore the depths of the Indian Ocean and gather vital data which will better inform governments and the scientific community worldwide as they tackle climate change.
The expedition is part of a wider five-week mission under the joint auspices of the Government of the Maldives and the UK marine research institute Nekton. The 10-strong knowledge exchange team will join scientists on the mission in what marks the start of a new era of scientific collaboration between scientists from the Indian Ocean and their UK colleagues. The expedition will undertake the first systematic discovery and documentation of ocean life in the Maldives from the surface to 1,000m. The expedition will deploy human-occupied submersibles, robots, autonomous systems, and over a dozen advanced subsea research technologies.
Nekton Maldives will conclude the underwater expedition on October 7 although analysing procedure will continue.