On the occasion of the Science Festival held in La Réunion from November 10 to 27, the very first underwater image competition of the Western Indian Ocean was organized on the theme « Elasmobranchs and large pelagics ».It highlights this exceptional fauna and the rich biodiversity of this vast region including La Réunion, Mauritius, Rodrigues, Mayotte, the Comoros, the Seychelles, Madagascar, South and East Africa (from Somalia to Mozambique).

For this first edition, sponsored by Rémy Tézier, a hundred photos were received by the jury composed of recognized photographers in the region: Emmanuelle Camallonga, Isabel Preud’homme Lopez, Simon Deblock, and Cédric Péneau. The prize-giving ceremony of the competition took place on Saturday, November 26, at the Stella Matutina museum, in front of an audience of 200 people.

The competition was organized by the Research Agency for Biodiversity in La Réunion (ARBRE), a non-profit association created in La Réunion in 2016. It contributes to the monitoring, tracking, and promotion of marine and terrestrial biodiversity in La Réunion and the Indian Ocean, as well as the dissemination of information and raising awareness among the population from an early age. Notably, it supports the MAEO project, launched in 2021, which revolves around several objectives: field research (camera placements, exploration dives to list the species present and an eco-participatory network) and awareness actions aimed at the general public and schools, organized to transmit and disseminate this knowledge.

No results