News
On 12 April 2024, the Danny Faure Foundation marked the 5th Anniversary of First Descent: Seychelles, the first deep ocean research expedition carried out in Seychelles’ waters by Nekton.
The expedition involved the support of many partners including the Government of Seychelles, the University of Oxford, and other international and local partners.
Our Director Oliver Steeds OBE spoke at the event, and Sheena Talma, Seychellois Marine Biologist and Stephanie Marie, the first female Seychellois scientist to dive in the submersible, shared inspiring accounts of their experience during the research project.
In total, 60 people from 14 nations participated in the mission.
Two competitions – the Ocean Innovation Award, and the Post Secondary School Essay Writing Competition – were launched in June 2023 and the winners were announced during the event.
6 Seychellois were involved and received grants for their project from the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust.
The Ocean Innovation Award was created by the Danny Faure Foundation and Nekton to encourage emerging ocean leaders to design innovative solutions to tackle the challenges faced by Seychellois. The winner, Vicky Durand, will spend 5 days at Nekton in Oxford, UK, working with research scientists and partners to advance her project. Accommodation and travel has been kindly supported by H Savy Insurance Company and Galaxy Trading.
The Post Secondary School Essay Writing Competition was launched under the theme of ‘The Beating Blue Heart’, encouraging young people to advocate for a sustainable blue planet. The winner, Ziraili Pereira, will spend 5 days with the Island Conservation Society on the island of Desroches. The award has been kindly supported by the Islands Development Company. Second and third runners up were Annie Yang and Tabo Masilokwa, who received cash prizes.
During the expedition, Danny Faure Foundation Founder and Chairman Danny Faure made the first underwater live presidential address from a submersible at 124m, close to Desroches. On behalf of the country, Mr Faure made a global plea for more action to protect our ocean.
I would definitely recommend applying for similar knowledge exchange fellowships—for scientists from the Maldives and beyond
