Tons of plastic are accumulating along the coastline of Aldabra, threatening sea and coastal fauna such as hawksbill and green turtles, which are vulnerable to both entanglement and ingestion. The combination of Aldabra’s isolation, the difficulty in accessing its remote beaches, and the increasing volume of marine plastic pollution have called for international cooperation.

In May 2018, a collaboration between the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF), the Queen’s College of Oxford University, Seychelles Coast Guard and Seychellois volunteers was launched. Over a period of 5 weeks, 25 tons of marine debris were removed from the southern coastline of Aldabra, including fishing gear, bottles, and flip-flops. The expedition costed $231K and it is estimated that up to $5 million is required to completely clear Aldabra’s accumulated waste.

The project has provided an initial framework and baseline data for the future removal of accumulated marine debris around the atoll and further fundraising is needed to complete this action.