Expédition pluridisciplinaire "Iles Eparses" 2010 - Rapport de mission Juan de Nova - Europa, 14 mai - 7 juin 2010

This report shows the sum up of a pluridisciplinary field trip done in May 2010 in Europa and Juan de Nova, 2 French islands that are part of the French Eparses Islands in the south west Indian Ocean. The objectives of this field trip were to: - Sample 3 coral fish species (L. kasmira, E. merra et M. berndti) in the framework of a project aiming to understand the marine life connectivity between Marine Protected Areas of the South West Indian Ocean. This field trip allowed sampling more than 150 specimens of these 3 species as well as others fish samples for ongoing genetic studies within the region. - Realise the ground truth after acquisition of bathymetric Lidar and Hyperspectral data within the project of reef habitats mapping of the South West Indian Ocean French islands. This field trip allowed filling in the spectral data library providing new ground and marine life signatures on these two remote islands. - The follow up of a project aiming to highlight the importance of the Eparses islands as development habitat for green and hawksbill turtles. This field trip allowed to capture/mark/weight /measure more than 140 immatures of these two species in the lagon of Europa and Juan de Nova. The first results seem to confirm that there are differences in growth rate between species as well as between islands. The Éparses islands such as Juan de Nova and Europa are French remote islands scattered in the Mozambique Channel which accessibility remains difficult. This field trip showed once again the importance of human and means mutualisation in order to provide a research of quality in the French Éparses islands.