expeditions

THE GREAT
BARRIER REEF
AUSTRALIA 2012

32 reefs from the far north to the south

The XL Catlin Seaview Survey commenced its coral reef survey work in September 2012 on an icon of the natural world, the Great Barrier Reef. Both Shallow Reef and Deep Reef survey teams were deployed over five separate expeditions. A total of 32 different reefs systems along the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef and out into the remote Coral Sea were surveyed, from Saunders Reef in the remote Far North; through to the Ribbon Reefs in the North; and Myrmidon in the Central region; to Heron Island and One Tree Island in the Capricorn Bunker Group in the South section of the Reef. In total 150 km of reefs were surveyed, and 105,000 geo-referenced coral reef panoramic images were collected. During these surveys the Deep Reef team discovered the deepest ever reef coral on both the Great Barrier Reef and in the Coral Sea and collected over 3,000 mesophotic coral samples which are now housed at the Museum of Tropical Queensland meaning they now have the largest deep water coral collection in the world.

Caribbean, Galapagos & Bermuda 2013

13 caribbean countries

In 2013 the Shallow Reef team extended their survey work to 206 reef sites throughout the Western Atlantic. A total of 220 surveys over 390 km of reef were undertaken in Bermuda and the following 13 Caribbean countries; Anguilla; Aruba; Belize; The Bahamas; Bonaire; Curacao; Guadeloupe; Mexico; St. Martin; St. Vincent & The Grenadines; Saint Eustatius and Turks and Caicos. A total of 200,000 geo-referenced coral reef panoramic images were captured. The Deep Reef team’s activity included expeditions to the mesophotic reefs of the Southern Caribbean; the use of a manned submersible to explore the lower mesophotic zone (80-150 m) around the island of Curacao; the collection of 3,000 mesophotic coral samples for biodiversity and connectivity assessments; an extension expedition to Bermuda as well as a expedition to revisit long-term monitoring sites set-up during the 2012 expeditions to the Coral Sea (Australia). A specialist expedition was also undertaken to Galapagos, with additional support from Google.

coral triangle
SOUTH EAST ASIA 2014

four coral triangle countries

The reef systems of the Coral Triangle region were the main focus of expedition activity in 2014. A total of five expeditions were undertaken by the Shallow Reef team across four countries; Indonesia; Philippines; Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands including four marine protected areas (Nino Konis Santana National Park, Timor Leste; Bunaken National Park, Indonesia; Karimunjawa National Park, Indonesia; Tubbataha Natural Reefs Park, Philippines). 221 km of coral reefs were imaged from 130 shallow reef survey transects. A total of 100,000 geo-referenced coral reef panoramic images were collected.

INDIAN OCEAN & PACIFIC OCEAN 2015

Chagos, Maldives and hawaii

In 2015, the Shallow Reef team’s focus was on both the Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. 27,000 geo-referenced panoramic images were collected in the remote Chagos Archipelago where coral reef ecosystems are virtually untouched by human activity. Some 31,000 geo-referenced images were collected from eight major coral atolls in the Maldives, south-west of India. Three separate expeditions to Hawaii between 2015 and 2016 allowed the Shallow Reef team to collect invaluable visual data just prior to the devastating third global coral bleaching event, during the event and again, post the event. A total of 88,000 geo-referenced panoramic images collected in Hawaii. The Deep Reef team extended their mesophotic survey work during the Maldives expedition.

ADDITIONAL
surveys and resurveys

A series of additional surveys and resurveys were undertaken from 2016- 2018.

New locations included Taiwan. Resurveys included the Philippines, Taiwan, Maldives and Indonesia as well as the Great Barrier Reef post Severe Tropical Cyclone Ita and the 2016 and 2017 mass coral bleaching episodes.

2016 taiwan

Largest coral reef survey ever undertaken in Taiwan generating 8,000 geo-referenced coral reef survey images.

2016 GREAT BARRIER REEF

More than 200 km surveyed in 2012 and resurveyed in 2014 post Tropical Cyclone Ita, and post the 2016 mass-bleaching event, generating 226,000 geo-referenced coral reef survey images.

2017 GREAT BARRIER REEF

More than 50 km of the Far Northern section of the GBR resurveyed post the 2017 mass bleaching event generating 30,500 geo-referenced coral reef images.

2017 MALDIVES

26 resurveys were undertaken in the Maldives in 2017 with 24,000 geo-referenced coral images collected.

2018 PHILIPPINES

Repeat survey of 17 km of coral reefs previously surveyed as part of the 2014 expedition program generating 13,800 geo-referenced coral reef survey images.

2018 TAIWAN

Repeat surveys of the same locations previously surveyed in 2016 generating over 8,000 geo-referenced coral reef survey images.

2018 INDONESIA

Repeat surveys undertaken at two locations previously surveyed as part of the 2014 expedition program. In total some 79 km of reef surveyed generating 42,850 geo-referenced coral reef survey images.