Underwater expedition aims to solve the mysteries of the Maldives.

(CNN) — Think “Maldives” and the first images that come to mind for many are luxurious overwater villas perched on tall wooden piers or beautiful beaches lined with stunning white sand.

But while the Maldives is one of the world’s most coveted vacation spots, not to mention a scuba diver’s dream destination, scientists say there’s still a lot they don’t learn about its underwater ecology.

Now, the Maldivian government and the British Institute of Maritime Research, Nekton, have teamed up to solve some of the mysteries of the country by taking a trip to the country’s uncharted waters.

The Nekton Maldives mission, which launched on September 4, includes teams of scientists from the Maldives and abroad, and plans to conduct extensive research using two high-tech submersibles below 30 meters – one of which can reach up to 1,000 meters.

The aim is to help the Maldives manage the effects of the global climate crisis.

“Maldives is 99% ocean and only 1% land, with an average elevation of 1.5 meters above sea level. As a result, the country is facing increasing maritime threats,” says Nekton’s statement.

But armed with more knowledge about what’s in their waters, work can begin to protect those who live there and protect the habitats of those species, making the country better able to cope with climate change.

The institute said 10 Maldivian marine scientists have been selected as the first “Maldives aquanauts” to lead more than 30 first-timers underwater to explore the country’s deepest depths. The first descent was led by an all-female team of divers.

The Omega Seamaster 2 Submersible seen exploring the waters of the Seychelles in 2019.

Nekton/AP

“We are determining the location, health and resilience of our coral reefs, particularly the deep ecosystems we know so little about, so that key habitats can be identified for conservation and management,” said Shafia Naeem, executive director of the Maldives team. In a statement issued by the Maldives Institute of Marine Research.

“The reefs around our atolls help mitigate the effects of rising sea levels and increased storm surges, and they form the basis of our economy, livelihoods and livelihoods.”

35 day mission

The expedition ship RV Odyssey will take scientists from the Maldives, UK, India and South Africa on a 35-day mission in the country’s vast waters.

The ship has two submarines, each carrying a pilot and two scientists. These are used with robotic and autonomous systems and more than a dozen research technologies to collect data.

The newest of the two submarines is Revi Ocean’s Aurelia, which underwent extensive sea trials off the coast of Barcelona this summer and is now confirmed to be the world’s most advanced craft of its kind, Nekton said in a statement.

The Omega Seamaster 2 can be used to navigate up to 500 meters underground.

Nekton/AP

The second submarine, the Omega Seamaster 2, It’s the same brand used in the 2019 Nekton mission to the Seychelles, where marine explorers “discovered dozens of new species and mapped beaches that had previously been less than 30 meters deep.”

Aurelia operates at depths of up to 1,000 meters, while the Omega Seamaster 2 is used to explore the first 500 meters below the surface.

During the 35-day mission, marine biologists, data scientists and filmmakers will collect species samples, conduct extensive mapping and videotape the condition of corals around the Maldives.

Scientists from the University of Oxford, which is participating in the mission, said it will examine how ocean life has adapted to historical sea levels since the last ice age, and will explore the “largely unknown and unexplored deep corals and reefs of the rhizophotic zone. Shallow waters provide refuge for animals.”

It also “examines the relative abundance of 40 shark and 18 ray species at the top of the food chain in the Maldives ocean, which serve as critical indicators of ocean health,” it said in a statement.

Among the planned mapping activities is a study of a seamount in the northern Indian Ocean.

According to Nekton, all samples and collected data will remain the property of the Maldives — “a departure from past scientific expeditions led by some Westerners.”

Supporting sustainable tourism development

So what does all this have to do with Maldives tourism?

Documenting the state of the country’s waters can support sustainable tourism development, Nekton said in a mission brief: “Reef health is fundamental to both large sectors of the Maldivian economy, tourism and fisheries. In addition to their economic value, coral reefs provide protection from frequent and increasingly severe storms and tides. They are the first line.

“Since it is located in a healthy ocean, it provides sustainable fisheries and tourism growth, and it is very important to protect the animal species that live there,” the mission statement said. Income.