A young Seychellois entrepreneur, Mariette Dine tells us what the Monaco Explorations mission to the Indian Ocean has brought her in terms of experience in pursuing her professional activities. She is developing a project on the use of algae to manufacture bio-plastics. Mariette’s projects are supported by the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT). This organization strategically invests in ocean stakeholders to generate new learning, bold action and sustainable blue prosperity in Seychelles.
My first experience of a mission at sea.
My name is Mariette Dine. I came on board as an independent contractor, as part of the Seychelles Department of Blue Economy. I had the opportunity to take part in the second phase of the mission’s study of the Saya de Malha bank and Saint Brandon.
The Monaco Explorations mission to the Indian Ocean was a great opportunity for me and the other Seychellois participants to take part in marine research on the Mascarene Plateau.
This enabled me to strengthen my skills and knowledge of algae specimens, under the supervision of Professor Line Le Gall, botanist and director of scientific expeditions at the Museum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris, Dr Lydianne Mattio and Dr Jeanne Mortimer from the University of Seychelles, in charge of the Seychelles National Herbarium.
I’m grateful to have had the chance to learn from the various projects on board, such as the physiological studies on corals led by Dr. G. B. B., and the research on the corals led by Dr. G. B. B. C. Ranjeet Baghooli from Mauritius, who focus on fluorescence measurements of various coral species, sponges and algal specimens such as the green alga Caulerpa.
The methodologies I learned and observed on board the ship will be very useful to me and will inspire me for my current and future projects, whether it be the works of art of the artists on board or the beauty of the specimens collected by Laure Corbari, Line Le Gall and her team, not forgetting Ms Florence Galletti for her interesting point of view on the law of the sea and its links with our work.
Mariette Dine
Contractor. Graduate of the University of Seychelles in Marine Sciences and Sustainability.
