The Juan Fernández Islands are among the few oceanic islands belonging to Chile, yet our scientific understanding of them is extremely limited. The archipelago lies about 600 kilometers west of Valparaíso, Chile, and consists of three islands: Robinson Crusoe, Santa Clara, and Alejandro Selkirk. They are recognized as a distinct ecoregion and are home to a high percentage of rare and endemic plants and animals, including the Juan Fernández fur seal and two petrel species: Stejneger’s petrel and the Juan Fernández petrel, which are both vulnerable to human impact due to their small breeding ranges.
Despite being close to the South American continent, elements of the marine flora and fauna more closely resemble those in the central and south Pacific due to the biogeographic barrier created by the Humboldt Current, which separates the islands from South America. In collaboration with the Waitt Foundation, Pristine Seas is conducting a two-week scientific expedition to the Juan Fernández Islands to study and film their deep sea and open ocean ecosystems.
The expedition team will travel from Santiago to Alejandro Selkirk, Robinson Crusoe, and Santa Clara to survey their marine ecosystems through a variety of methods, including scuba diving to depths of 10-20 meters, using baited remote underwater video and pelagic cameras, and deploying deep-drop cameras to depths of over 2,000 meters.
The results of the expedition will be used to highlight the endemic flora and fauna of the Juan Fernández Islands, and Pristine Seas, the Waitt Foundation, and Oceana Chile will work together with the Juan Fernández local community to define the most effective way to protect these incredible marine ecosystems.
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