Atlantic Guardians summer season community gathering

As the summer fieldwork season comes to an end on Tristan da Cunha, the Atlantic Guardians Marine Management Support Officer has been sharing with the community the recent underwater fieldwork as well as celebrating the construction of the traditional dinghy longboat.

34 guests attended the Atlantic Guardians gathering, listening to talks and enjoying some refreshments.

The first presentation introduced the Marine Protection Zone and the project Atlantic Guardians. We shared pictures of the different activities with school children, and underwater footage collected during fieldwork.

The Fisheries Department shared work undertaken on fish surveys and deep-water habitats collected from all four islands. Meanwhile, Shannon Swain from the Conservation Department and a Young Ocean Champion, shared a beautiful and interesting video about pelagic camera surveys done around Tristan.

The six members of the dinghy longboat restoration team were presented with a ‘Thank You’ gift: a glass engraved with a picture of the traditional dinghy and their name, and a printed picture of the team next to the boat.

At the end, while everybody enjoyed refreshments, attendees had the opportunity to fill out a feedback questionnaire. The feedback has given us an insight into what the community think about Atlantic Guardians and ideas that we will take on board in the planning of activities for the next field season.