Challenges to a remote World Heritage Site
In the heart of the Indian Ocean lies a place that feels untouched by time: the Aldabra Atoll, one of the most remote and pristine ecosystems on Earth. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982, this vast coral ring shelters giant tortoises, rare seabirds, ancient mangroves, and one of the healthiest reef systems in the world.
For decades, isolation served as its shield. But isolation is no longer enough. Climate change, invasive species, and plastic pollution now reach even this place, far from human presence.
To document the global plastic crisis affecting even the most remote ecosystems, photographer and explorer Alexis Rosenfeld joined the mission aboard a vessel operated by Plastic Odyssey—an organization combating marine plastic pollution through a floating laboratory. As the team entered a turquoise lagoon encircled by coral islands, the illusion of untouched beauty gave way to an open wound: bottles, nets, ropes, and flip-flops washed ashore in a place where they never belonged.
Mapping plastic pollution: Conservation efforts on Aldabra Atoll
With the collaboration of the Seychelles Islands Foundation, the national organization responsible for protecting and managing Aldabra Atoll, the mission focused on a detailed characterization of land-based plastic pollution on the atoll, with a view to a major cleanup effort.
The crew explored remote beaches, moved through dense mangroves, and followed the tracks of giant tortoises now forced to coexist with accumulated debris. With the help of drones, they mapped more than twenty kilometres of coastline. From above, Aldabra appears perfect, yet the images reveal the scars left by pollution. It is a delicate task: protecting nature while exposing what threatens it.
At every stage of the mission, one truth became increasingly clear: Aldabra is not only a natural treasure; it is a reminder of what is at stake for the entire planet. The story of the atoll is the story of the ocean itself—extraordinary beauty, resilience, and urgency.
UNESCO supports this effort through complementary programmes aimed at safeguarding marine life on multiple fronts. One of its flagship initiatives, the eDNA Expeditions, enables young people from various countries—including students from Seychelles—to collect environmental DNA in UNESCO marine World Heritage sites.
Thanks to the joint work of UNESCO through the 1 OCEAN project, the scientific community, partners, and those who protect this site every day, Aldabra remains a symbol of hope for the future of our ocean.
read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-and-partners-launch-project-brings-together-ocean-science-conservation-and-biodiversity
