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Update from our South Africa biodiversity conservation expedition
We are in the groove here in South Africa. Several teams out every day, some with very early starts, some back for more at night, others for all-day trips. All to collect as much data as we possibly can – to bear witness and to help protect this beautiful mountain area in the Western Cape.
Continue reading “South Africa biodiversity conservation 2026: Groove”Media release – 3 November 2026
Biosphere Expeditions has concluded its 15th annual Maldives coral reef conservation expedition. Operating amidst the complex pressures of marine over-development and shifting climatic baselines, citizen scientists and marine researchers completed rigorous Reef Check surveys, yielding both cautious optimism and stark warnings for the future of tropical reef ecosystems.
Continue reading “Unexpected resilience found on Maldives coral reef expedition as local leadership takes the baton ahead of approaching El Niño”Update from our South Africa biodiversity conservation expedition
Team 1 is here. Not without challenge due to duff cars, but it does not matter. What matters is that they are here to help and bear witness, to collect data and support our scientist Dr Alan Lee and the refugium has has built. They are here to put in their time and effort – and their money – to make it all happen. Thank you.
Continue reading “South Africa biodiversity conservation 2026: Refugium”Update from our South Africa biodiversity conservation expedition
The mountains of Blue Hill and beyond are as beautiful as ever. Our prep work for the expedition is continuing and the weather does not look too bad for the next few days – it’s the mountains and karoo after all.
Continue reading “South Africa biodiversity conservation 2026: People & tasks”Update from our South Africa biodiversity conservation expedition
I am Malika (see my picture at the bottom), your expedition leader on our South Africa Biodiversity Conservation Expeditions. With me is Anna, our camp manager, who’ll manage all things related to food in the beautiful Hartebeest Rivier mountains.
Continue reading “South Africa biodiversity conservation 2026: Starter”Update from our Maldives coral reef conservation expedition
The last slates have been scrubbed clean, the transect lines coiled away, and the hum of the compressor has finally fallen silent. Our Reef Check surveys for 2026 have drawn to a close.
As grey clouds race across the horizon and our boat is rocked by waves and wind, our Reef Check findings leave us with a bittersweet feeling: the reefs are holding out better than we had dared to hope. Against the odds, the blue depths still pulse with life, displaying a stubborn resilience in the face of warming seas, overfishing, over-development and just too much human impact. It is a moment of quiet joy of an unexpectedly positive result.
Continue reading “Coral reef conservation Maldives 2026: Quiet joy”Update from our Maldives coral reef conservation expedition
We are now fully into our Reef Check rhythm, swaying side to side on our liveaboard, blue above and below, broken by gleaming sand, the odd palm tree and the relentless pace of resort overdevelopment all around.
Continue reading “Coral reef conservation Maldives 2026: Rhythm”Update from our Maldives coral reef conservation expedition
One day later and almost everyone is now a Reef Check EcoDiver. Well done! So off we went to a site in the north of Kaalo Atoll to check on a reef that we had not looked at for over a decade.
Continue reading “Coral reef conservation Maldives 2026: Corallimorphs”Update from our Maldives coral reef conservation expedition
It’s day 2 of our coral reef conservation expedition to the Maldives. All bar one (whose flight was re-routed mid-air) are here and learning to distinguish reef substrate (such as hard coral, sponge, sand, silt, rubble, soft coral and more) as I type this. There will be more about fish, invertebrates and coral damage and disease – in and out of the water – as we go through this mind dump day.
Continue reading “Coral reef conservation Maldives 2026: Mind dump & stewardship”Update from our Maldives coral reef conservation expedition
As our 2026 team prepares to gather in Malé for the start of our 2026 expedition this Saturday, we have been reviewing the detailed findings from our 2025 survey season. Our 13th annual survey report highlights the complex realities facing coral reef conservation Maldives.
Continue reading “Coral reef conservation Maldives 2026: Last year and Saturday”