At the invitation of the National Research Foundation - South African Environmental Observation Network (NRF-SAEON), OceanX and OceanQuest, Wildlife Conservation Society Mozambique (WCS), participated in a scientific expedition to the south of the Mozambique Channel from January 30 to February 25, 2024, represented by Jorge Sitoe, Project Assistant for the Marine Program.
This expedition aimed to explore two seamounts in the Indian Ocean, namely Walters Shoal and Africana II Seamount, by mapping these features and collecting biological and oceanographic data and provided learning opportunities for young researchers from several East African countries (Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya, Comoros, South Africa).
Jorge Sitoe, inside a submersible, had the opportunity to dive to the bottom of the sea at approximately 500 meters to observe the marine biodiversity of the Walters Shoal Seamount, collecting data on fish, corals, sediments and rocks.
‘It was a unique and extraordinary experience to dive to approximately 500 meters in an OceanXplorer submersible, from the descent that shows a gradual view of the ocean until you reach the immense darkness of the depths and can observe the marine life that lives there such as fish, soft corals, sponges and the rock formations that exist, said Jorge Sitoe.
Jorge Sitoe, Project Assistant WCS Mozambique