News of Tristan da Cunha's wildlife for 2013.
The Tristan da Cunha Newsletter carries in-depth wildlife and conservation articles that are not published on www.tristandc.com On this page we will flag up these articles and the background research as a data base. On separate pages we will gradually build up images and notes of the flora and fauna in a project that we hope will grow and grow

Marine Biology Research by Sue Scott

Marine Biologist Sue Scott wrote an article reporting on the 2013 James Clark Ross Research Cruise to Tristan in the August 2013 Newsletter. The Darwin Initiative funded three days ship work at Tristan, and, also recognising this unique opportunity, the Pew Charitable Trusts' Global Ocean Legacy agreed to fund two extra days at Tristan, and two at Gough, 200 miles to the southeast, where the marine life is even less well studied.

Photos from Sue Scott show the British Antarctic Survey ship James Clark Ross off Nightingale Island (above left) and preparing an ocean trawl with Tristan da Cunha in the background (below right). Photo above right shows the James Clark Ross survey team with Sue Scott far right, and that below left shows the vessel off Tristan's Sandy Point. All images taken in May 2013.

See also :James Clark Ross 2013 Marine Survey for Sue Scott's stunning images of Tristan marine life,
the Marine Life Page for more details of marine species
and the Stamps Archive Page for the January 2008 Marine Invertebrates stamp issue based on Sue's photographs.

Botany Research by Jim McIntosh

Botanist Jim McIntosh wrote two articles in the February and August 2012 Tristan Newsletters following his research in 2011/12. His work was funded and supported by the UK Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP), the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and the Government and people of Tristan da Cunha.

Jim mounted eight camping expeditions with assistant surveyor Lourens Malan to different parts of the island as well as innumerable day trips from the Settlement. They spent just over 40 nights under canvas.

Left: Photo from Jim looking across the high mossy slopes towards The Peak during one of his many expeditions.

See also the Botany Page to find out more about Tristan's plants and the Vegetation Page which features broad vegetation zones of the islands.