Each village is known to have a distinct set of rules and functions for social coexistence. The village community is composed of various groups that function independently to manage certain areas for their welfare in the community. However, for a common cause such as Biodiversity Conservation initiatives, these various institutions can be converged and function as a single entity.

Scientists are often criticised for their inability to communicate research expeditions and outcomes to public audiences, both in the nations where they operate and also internationally. Nekton was founded on the principle of bringing science and story-telling together to amplify host nation scientists as leading voices and ambassadors. During the expedition, the first descents were undertaken by Seychellois scientists. Through partnership with Seychellois media, content was produced, published and broadcast within Seychelles. In partnership with Associated Press and Sky, content from the expedition was published and broadcast in 140 countries globally including 18,000 articles (in print and digital) and over 4000 video broadcast packages. These included the first live subsea documentary series, newscasts and Presidential Address by the President of Seychelles, Danny Faure.

Historically, expeditions and science research have had a reputation of taking a top-down approach including through the practice of ‘parachute science’. This includes the desire to collect numerous and diverse samples and data that is then stored outside the reach of host-nation countries. This is often especially true for research in countries that are under-resourced and can be influenced by, and / or directed by, scientists from other nations that can have more resources. As part of the co-production philosophy, we wanted to ensure that the host-nation, Seychelles, had complete authority over the data and samples collected. Together with the Government of Seychelles, we co-drafted an array of agreements that ensured that both the samples and the data was fully owned by Seychelles.

Open dialogues with our main partner, the Government of Seychelles during every stage of the project ensured that changes and amendments could be easily made with their input. For example, field locations where easily amended as a result of bad weather, ensuring no time was wasted while at sea. Furthermore, a clear expectation of sample collection and updates during the expedition meant that Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) inspections could be made on arrival back into port, expediting the export permits, and thereby helping to facilitate the Government to fulfil their regulatory requirements.

It is not straight-forward to build trust. It can take time, skill, and resources, particularly finance and personnel. Nekton ensured that early engagement with the Government of Seychelles and Seychellois stakeholders began a year prior to the actual start of the Seychelles-Nekton field expedition. This allowed ample time to start building connections and relationships with the stakeholders and partners based in Seychelles. The Government of Seychelles gathered other locally based partners and stakeholders to build and frame a joint agenda of needs that would inform the research during the Seychelles-Nekton Expedition which took place in 2019. Co-production of the expedition included organising workshops to identify research locations, defining the pertinent research questions along with determining the stakeholders’ interest in leading specific projects.

Bosque La Tigra has a clear vision of community engagement for its business: ecotourism in La Tigra and surroundings can thrive only if all those involved in the tourism sector have the abilities and skills to perform the industry; accordingly the Project identified the needs for training to improve touristic skills for the local communities and entrepreneurs.

• The Project supported the training for 14 persons of the local communities to become official tour guides between 2018 and 2021. They received lessons on Generalities of tourism and tourism ethics, Tourist attention and guidance, Geography and Cultural Tourism of Costa Rica, and Natural history.  These future tour guides have accomplished 70% of the curricula.
• The project developed training in Entrepreneurial skills for ecotourist businesses in La Tigra and near districts. In 2021, 15 entrepreneurs received ludic and participatory training to develop their business skills, in topics such as entrepreneur profile, business concept, brand and image, marketing, digital marketing, costs, and business formalization. The training consisted in group sessions and individual mentorship for each participant. The entrepreneurs have increased the visitation to their accommodations and increased the purchases of their products as a result of the training. 

Bosque La Tigra owns 46 hectares of primary and secondary forests, as well as regeneration areas, as relicts of what used to be passion fruit plantations. Bosque La Tigra adjoins the Children Eternal Rainforest, Costa Rica’s biggest private reserve, with 23.000 hectares. For the Project, this location is a strategic element of the reserve work.

Bosque La Tigra has intended to foster the ecological connectivity of both reserves by conserving the forest and also, by actively restoring the regeneration areas of the reserve with native trees. For this purpose, the project designed a reforestation sequence for the regeneration areas. Eventually, the area will enter into an ecological succession process and foster ecological connectivity with the Children Eternal Rainforest.

At least 40 different species of native trees and bushes have been identified to plant in the regeneration areas. The Project has established a tree nursery that reproduces trees and seedlings from the same primary and secondary forests of the reserve and has a capacity for 700 seedlings and plants.

Between 2017 and 2020, a total of 4500 trees were planted. Every reforestation effort is supported by the voluntary work of students, companies’ employees, national and international tourists, and Bosque La Tigra staff.

AI-based crack gauge for rockfall is a device that monitors the occurrence of rockfall and the crack displacements in real-time by installing an observation sensor in a rockfall risky area located along the trail. Since 2013, automatic and manual crack gauges have been installed on steep slopes with a high risk of collapse, and 525 units are currently in operation at 174 locations. The rockfall measuring device is divided into risk levels of 'interest, caution, alert, and serious'. In the interest stage, regular and frequent inspections are carried out. In the caution stage where cracks are less than 5 mm and less than 2°, monitoring is strengthened. In the alert stages, precise investigation and action plans for the disaster are prepared. In the serious stage, the adjacent trails are controlled and emergency measures such as rockfall removal are implemented.

AI-based Intelligent CCTV is a scientific safety management system that uses deep learning technology to control emergencies in real-time image analysis. By recognizing and analyzing abnormal behavior patterns, such as intrusion, screaming, wandering, etc., a warning broadcast is immediately sent to the site and delivered to the control system, following the emergency responses.
In addition, in the case of marine/coastal national parks with a high risk of safety accidents due to tides and tides, the broadcast of tide times is automatically issued to the site. Intelligent CCTV was installed in 2020 and is currently being operated in 89 places in 15 national parks.

To enable automatic and instant biodiversity impact assessment enquiry, the BiA tool has been developed to facilitate enquiry services for land planners and other interested parties via Azure platform. The BiA tool works by overlaying the enquiry site or region (or existing construction projects) with multiple geographic layers including species distribution and protected area range to investigate if the site or region is within certain distance (e.g., 3 km, 5 km) from and may cause impact on endangered species habitat and/or protected areas. The assessment reports illustrate ecological and environmental risks of construction projects for decision-makers and could hopefully promotes them to take biodiversity into consideration.

A brief timeline of the BiA tool:

• Apr-Jun 2020: team formation, requirement communication, system development plan
• Jul-Sept 2020: tool development
• Oct 2020: trial test, application and dissemination
• (in preparation) Apr-Sept 2022: system upgrade