Scientific Diving Expedition to Costa Rica Cocos Island National Park

This national park was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997 for its unmatched natural beauty and rich biodiversity. The island is located between parallel 5"31' and meridian 87"3' (The reason of the logo).

Join CREMA and The SeaChange Agency on a scientific diving expedition to Cocos Island National Park in Costa Rica; your valuable contribution as a science sponsor will save many endangered species. All expeditions will be led by Costa Rican biologist Randall Arauz, currently the Science and Policy Advisor for Marine Watch International.

Researchers and communicators, from the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala, are going to catch and tag sharks in Cocos Island National Park, monitor predator abundance with sophisticated video monitoring devices, and deploy acoustic receivers on the summits of neighboring seamounts using ROV submersibles with the collaboration of MARE www.maregroup.org.

Tissue samplimg from sharks, either directly during dive operations by means of a pole-spear or by fishing; if on deck, a surgical implanting of tags will be done. Any sea turtles encountered will also be caught and brought to our deck for tagging and tissue sampling.