Hello everyone, greetings from onboard Malizia Explorer.
It has been a while since we shared an update, as the past weeks have brought quite a few events that were out of our control…
Our last log ended with us leaving Dakar and sailing to Mindelo, Cabo Verde, to begin a joint mission with Instituto do Mar (IMar) and the Atlantic Technical University (UTA), supported by GEOMAR and LuxDev. Together with the local scientists, we spent the first week studying corals, seagrass and microalgae off Santa Luzia Island.
This work involved a mix of methods, from plankton collection to dive surveys, where the scientific team onboard documented the local biodiversity using photo quadrants at different depths. Studying bioindicators is essential to understanding how ecosystems here are coping with climate change, and the data we collected will help inform strategies for sustainable Ocean management. It was a particularly valuable mission, as these remote coastal ecosystems are often understudied and in desperate need of attention. The collaboration also supported capacity building with our Cabo Verdean partner.
After a week onboard, we returned the team of scientists to Mindelo and prepared to continue on to São Nicolau, which is an island believed to have near-pristine waters, ideal for establishing a baseline to compare with more impacted areas and to identify biodiversity hotspots.
However, on the night of the 11th of August, Tropical Storm Erin swept across Cabo Verde, bringing flash floods, destruction and tragic loss of life. While everyone onboard remained safe, our São Nicolau mission with the local scientists had to be put on hold. In the days that followed, our focus shifted to offering support where we could onshore.
Additionally, whilst everyone onboard Malizia Explorer stayed unharmed during the storm, the boat herself was struck by lightning, frying most of our navigational systems and leaving us grounded until replacements could arrive.
By late August, the damaged systems had been fully replaced with technical devices from Navico, and on the 25th of August, with repairs complete, we set sail once more. Our course: across the Atlantic toward Fernando de Noronha, Brazil.
During our Atlantic crossing, we carry three Argo floats onboard, set to be deployed at specific coordinates. These floats dive and resurface over 10-day cycles, collecting key data on temperature, salinity and pressure, which is then transmitted via satellite to researchers worldwide. You’ll be able to follow the journey of our first deployed Argo float here.
The deployment was made possible through strong international collaboration between GEOMAR, the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), the Ocean Science Center Mindelo and Team Malizia.
Now, what awaits us in Fernando de Noronha?
In collaboration with the Blue Marine Foundation and Instituto Vida no Oceano, the Malizia Explorer will embark on a mission to Fernando de Noronha to document and share the importance of safeguarding Ocean biodiversity. The expedition will support research for the creation of a new Marine Protected Area around nearby deep-sea seamounts, which are ecosystems rich in marine life but increasingly impacted by human activities. Vital biodiversity data will be collected using BRUVs (Baited Remote Underwater Video), acoustic receivers, plankton sampling, diving surveys and our OceanPack. This research will guide protection measures for sharks, whales and other key species, aiming to ensure the long-term preservation of this unique ecosystem.
After this, everything will be getting a bit colder… but more news on that then!