Indian Ocean, Seychelles. “The Aldabra atoll, lies only a few metres above the turquoise waves of the Indian Ocean and the fear is that rising sea levels and tropical cyclones may eventually swallow it up. taking the giant Seychelles tortoises with it…” Photo source: ©© Olivier Roux
Excerpts;
As changing season patterns bring harsher storms and much longer dry spells, international organisations are helping fight climate change in the Seychelles, the only nation in the world where 50 percent of the land is a nature reserve.
Climate change causes storm surges and higher tides, both of which erode the coast. As the sea warms up, it also kills off the coral reefs, which provide food for fish but also protect the coast from the waves…
Aldabra Atoll, UNESCO
The atoll is comprised of four large coral islands which enclose a shallow lagoon; the group of islands is itself surrounded by a coral reef. Due to difficulties of access and the atoll’s isolation, Aldabra has been protected from human influence and thus retains some 152,000 giant tortoises, the world’s largest population.
Located in the Indian Ocean, the Aldabra Atoll is an outstanding example of a raised coral atoll. Due to its remoteness and inaccessibility, the atoll has remained largely untouched by humans for the majority of its existence. Aldabra is one of the largest atolls in the world, and contains one of the most important natural habitats for studying evolutionary and ecological processes.
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