The Falkland Islands occupy a unique position in the Southwest Atlantic. Situated approximately 500km off the tip of South America and 1000km north of the Antarctic Peninsula the shallow waters surrounding the islands are an almost pristine and unexploited marine environment. However, for a nation comprising over 700 islands and a correspondingly large coastline, little is known about the inshore environment around the Falkland Islands. Most of the available scientific literature deals with offshore commercial fisheries in waters that are on the whole deeper than 50 m.

The Shallow Marine Surveys Group exists to coordinate and conduct assessments of the status of inshore resources around the Falkland Islands. Headed by a core group of experienced biologists and divers and assisted by volunteers from the community we have been collecting, identifying and photographing marine animals since June 2006. The scope of the work includes the splash zone, inter-tidal and subtidal environments on sandy, pebble and rock beaches of Falkland Islands' shores.

The group also welcomes contact from international conservation and educational organisations who may like to collaborate with us on future inshore marine research in the region or seek advice on the logistics of scientific research in the Falkland Islands. We also invite contact from postgraduate students who may be considering proposals for research in inshore cold temperate waters.

 The objectives of the Shallow Marine Survey Group are:

• To promote research into the shallow marine environment around the Falkland Islands.
• To redress the gap in the knowledge of Falkland Islands' inshore biodiversity by building on the baseline survey of 1996.
• To conduct a full shallow marine survey of the Falkland Islands Government's Nature Reserve, Kidney Island.
• To produce the first definitive, quality field guide to the shallow marine fauna of the Falkland Islands down to a depth of 20 m.
• To educate the community about marine biodiversity and marine ecology in the Falkland Islands.

Resources

The Damien II. The Group's long range dive platform.

The primary vessel used by the SMSG is a 28 ft American Fastfisher which has been adapted for use as a dive platform.  For longer surveys to remote locations we have the use of the 50 ft steel yacht, Damien II. The Damien II was one of the first 'lifting keel' yachts which enables the draught to be reduced from 11ft to 3ft, making her ideal for expeditions to shallow rocky coastlines. We also have a towable inflatable which gives us access to much of the coastline of East Falklands. The group has it's own compressor for use in Stanley as well as a number of air tanks and spare sets of regularly serviced scuba gear. Laboratory space is provided by the Falkland Islands Government Fisheries Department in addition to storage facilities for the National Marine Invertebrate Reference Collection.