This project was established by the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute with funding from the Falkland Islands Government and the Falkland Islands Petroleum Licensees Association. The aim is to provide a resource to support environmental monitoring, particularly activities associated with oil and gas exploration in the offshore areas around the Falkland Islands EEZ. In addition it is hoped that this will be a resource for other researchers interested in working in the benthic environment of the Falkland Islands. The marine environment of the Islands is still a frontier area with many species yet to be discovered. Biological samples collected as part of hydrocarbons exploration has provided a wealth of material new to science and species yet to be described and named.
The Natural History Museum, London has begun this work by developing this online guide and providing taxonomic expertise for the offshore polychaete species. There are more phyla waiting to be sorted and identified from existing collections and in time this guide will be expanded to include these. Furthermore, the Falkland Islands has identified the NHM as being the primary repository of future benthic biological samples from hydrocarbons exploration. As such there is great potential for the expansion of this resource into the future. It is hoped that this guide can be used to help develop a community of interested researchers and taxonomic expert. This is an opportunity for the Falkland Islands to draw upon the best experts in the field to help answer critical questions that will support the environmental management of their marine environment, but also for researchers to work with material from a frontier area that has hitherto received limited attention. It is only through such collaboration that further knowledge about the unique benthic flora and fauna of the Falkland Islands can be discovered. Anyone interested in joining this community of researchers is encouraged to contact us.
The NHM team:
Lenka Neal
Lauren Hughes
Cate Huque
Ben Scott
Gordon Paterson