DISCOVERING HIDDEN DESERTS – THE PROJECT

Underwater forests are under threat and, as we lose them, vast deserts are expanding across the oceans.

As submerged forests disappear, we are also losing all the associated goods and services that are critical for our well-being and to support global economies. Also, with them go the capacity of oceans to buffer climate change.

Overfishing and global warming are the main stressors that threaten kelp forests in the world’s temperate reefs, profoundly transforming these seascapes to bare rock.

Spotting and monitoring these hidden deserts is critical to guarantee the availability of marine resources in the future and for the conservation of oceans worldwide. To do this, we need your help!

We invite you to participate in the discovery of deserts hidden beneath the oceans’ surface to contribute to the better health of our planet.

THE PROJECT IS DIVIDED IN 3 STAGES

THE-PROJECT_STAGE1

STAGE 1: DISCOVERY

To understand how these unknown deserts are formed,
we first need to know where they are.

We will use a diverse set of exploration tools (aerial and subaquatic drones and SCUBA diving among others)
to identify and map them across the world’s oceans.

STAGE 2: MONITORING

Deserts are not static and in many regions are expanding.

In the second phase we will track several deserts to study
how they evolve through time. We will draft detailed maps of the deserts
using aerial images and scientific diving.

THE-PROJECT_STAGE

DRON

STAGE 3: ACTION

Based on the knowledge gained from STAGE 1 and 2,
we will propose plausible solutions to reduce the number of underwater deserts.

We will work together with administrators and managers to restore and conserve our lost submerged forest.