MAYOTTE, THE LAGOON ISLAND
DEEP BLUE EXPLORATION is based in Mayotte. Hot spot of biodiversity, this magnificent island has one of the largest and most beautiful lagoon in the world which remains largely unexplored today!
Mayotte is a small volcanic island with a very large lagoon (1,500 km2) in the Comoros archipelago delimited by a 195 km long barrier reef. These attributes make it one of the largest lagoons surrounding a high island. The coral reefs of Mayotte, but also those around the world, have been the subject of studies, research and monitoring for nearly 60 years. However, even today, gray areas persist and prevent the scientific community from having a complete and global vision of the functioning of these ecosystems.
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PIONEERING THE EXPLORATION OF THE MAHORESE TWILIGHT
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DEEP BLUE EXPLORATION is already:
Since the first deep dives in 2017, DBE has been able to make original and unprecedented biological discoveries.
ACQUISITION OF NEW KNOWLEDGE
To date, Deep Blue Exploration has enabled the census of more than 250 species living in the mesophotic zone!
Given the rich biodiversity of this environment, this is still only the beginning. Among all the species recorded, some are new to Mayotte, others have never been recorded in the Indian Ocean and a few seem to still be unknown to science.
The number and importance of discoveries made by divers and scientists significant. They highlight, not only the lack of knowledge of the mesophotic environment, but also the gap between our perceived knowledge and what these ecosystems actually look like.. DBE contributes to the redefinition of the geographical areas of many taxa and to a greater understanding of their lifestyle and habitat. Some species have been photographed in the mesophotic zone far from their shallow habitat usually described in the scientific literature. The work conducted by DBE unveils migration patterns as well as refuge dynamics which have remained completely unknown until now.
Extension of the habitat range of several species.
Explorations carried out by DBE have established several depth records and / or new records for the southwestern Indian Ocean area for a wide range of reef species belonging to different groups. Some specimens of species apparently well known to science have been recorded far from their ordinary habitat.
The many discoveries made during deep dives between 70 and 150 meters below the surface highlight our lack of knowledge regarding the ecology of MCEs.
Geographical extension of the distribution areas of many species.
8
invertebrate species referenced as new to the Indian Ocean!
+ de 39
new species for the Mayotte region!
3
new species for science: 2 crusta and a fish!
GOALS
Humans have always sought to explore their environment. This thirst for discovery is fueled by vital needs but also by the desire to simply understand and discover the world. It is this last motivation which is at the origin of the Deep Blue Exploration project.
Exploration is of little value if it is not associated with science, which is why science is deeply rooted in the philosophy of Deep Blue Exploration. Each deep dive, each immersion is a new opportunity to contribute to the expansion of knowledge and understanding of this particular environment.
Ocean Art is the Awareness and Artistic section of DBE. Whether fully exposed to broad daylight or hidden in the semi-darkness of the mesophotic zone, Nature is inherently beautiful! One of the objectives of the association is to capture and reconstitute the splendor of the depths in the best possible way, in order to sensitise the general public to the cause of the reef.