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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”Update from our Maldives coral reef conservation expedition
This October, Biosphere Expeditions will run its 15th Maldives expedition. This continues our long-standing citizen-science project in the Maldives, focusing on coral reef health through hands-on volunteer expeditions. Since 2011, these marine surveys have been an important constant of local reef conservation, blending scientific rigour, citizen science and immersive adventure.
I am Matthias Hammer, founder and CEO of Biosphere Expeditions, and I will also be your expedition leader.
Media release – 13 October 2026
Data collected by Biosphere Expeditions in Oman, the Maldives, Malaysia and Honduras contributes to the world’s most comprehensive assessment of coral health, exposing shrinking recovery windows and escalating degradation.
A major global report on the state of the world’s coral reefs underlines the severe, escalating pressure facing marine ecosystems worldwide, confirming that decades of climate stress have pushed coral ecosystems into continuous decline. The Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025 report, published by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), synthesises decades of underwater research to map trends in coral cover, disturbance and degradation.
Among the key data providers feeding into this global baseline is the international wildlife conservation non-profit Biosphere Expeditions, whose citizen science participants have systematically surveyed reefs using standard Reef Check protocols in Oman, the Maldives, Malaysia and Honduras.
Continue reading “Landmark Global Report Highlights Coral Decline: Biosphere Expeditions Demands End to Positive Spin and Calls for Ecological Triage”Update from our wildlife volunteering Malawi expedition
Our expedition has come to an end. Thank you to all citizen scientists and partners from LWT. Here are some early results. Final ones will be in the expedition report once Lea and the LWT researchers have processed and analysed all the data and pictures.
Continue reading “Wildlife volunteering Malawi 2026: Farewell”Update from our wildlife conservation Malawi expedition
The temperature has been steadily climbing as we move deeper into the dry season. It is hot! Lake Kazuni is showing obvious signs of water loss as levels drop. And the distance between the lake road and the water’s edge is growing significantly each day. This means less space for each hippo family and results in some of them moving further west and outside our transect. Interestingly, daily counts remain similar, which suggests that lower water levels help our research by revealing more individuals.
Continue reading “Wildlife conservation Malawi 2026: Hippos”Update from our African biodiversity conservation Malawi expedition
It’s been five days now since we saw any elephants out in the open. They seem to have altered their habit of coming by camp in the afternoon, taking a bath in the river close by and feeding on their favourite trees behind the staff tents.
Continue reading “African biodiversity conservation Malawi 2026: Elephants”Update from our biodiversity conservation Malawi expedition
Farewell to our first group of citizen scientist who leave with the satisfaction of a job well done.
102 species identified on iNaturalist, 811 hippos counted, 43 bird species identified, 6 new elephant identifications, 2 leopards captured on camera traps, the first aardvark and lions since 2018!
Continue reading “Leopard conservation Malawi 2026: Sundowners”