By Billy Curryer | Project Development Officer
SEED Madagascar (SEED) is currently preparing for the return of the Primary Investigator for Project Microcebus to Fort Dauphin in early June 2017. With the project scheduled to start in July 2017, there are lots of tasks to be completed by the Primary Investigator and project staff to ensure everything is in place for a timely start. Research equipment will be purchased and assembled, and a comprehensive research and activity plan will be drawn up. SEED is extremely excited to welcome back its Primary Investigator and to get preliminary work started.
Hair and tissue samples collected during 2016 are currently being processed by UK customs and are awaiting genetic analysis. This has caused a delay to formal species description; however it is expected to follow in the coming months.
In 2017, the SEED Madagascar Conservation Programme has been hard at work conducting lemur population abundance and density research in Sainte Luce. This research is conducted through distance sampling transects at night. Lemur eye shine is much like a domestic cat’s, making it easier to spot the four species of lemur in the dark. Three of the species are nocturnal, whilst the other species is Cathemerality (active both in the day and night throughout the year). Once a lemur has been sighted, the team records the species, the habitat characteristics, and distance from the transect. The data is later used to calculate population abundances and densities.
Upon commencement, Project Microcebus will scale-up this research from the four forest fragments currently analysed to an additional one, as well as residual forest remnants lying around the forest fragments. This will enable SEED to complete a first assessment of the new species’ population and calculate its geographic range.
World Environment Day is just around the corner. Everyone at SEED cannot contain their excitement and are gearing up for the celebration on the 5th June 2017. Each year, the organisation holds a celebration in Sainte Luce with a range of activities including a parade, quizzes and competitions, as well as practical activities. SEED will focus upon this year’s theme of “Connecting People to Nature” whilst promoting lemurs and Microcebus with the hope of encouraging their conservation in Sainte Luce.
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