WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao hosted the presentation of Project Calypso on Saturday, a landmark scientific expedition that organizers describe as the largest coordinated research mission ever conducted on large marine animals in the Caribbean.
The project is being led by the Caribbean Cetacean Society (CCS) and will see a specialized research vessel travel across dozens of islands and coastal nations throughout the region, including the ABC islands, over the coming months.
The primary objective is to map the migration routes and critical habitats of whales, dolphins and sharks, providing scientists with valuable data to strengthen conservation efforts and improve protection for these species throughout the Caribbean.
Researchers will rely exclusively on non-invasive, animal-friendly techniques during the expedition. These include underwater acoustic monitoring using hydrophones, environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis from seawater samples and advanced underwater camera systems to study marine wildlife without disturbing the animals.
In addition to marine biodiversity research, Project Calypso is partnering with The Ocean Cleanup to monitor plastic pollution across the Caribbean Sea. Using artificial intelligence, the team will collect and analyze real-time data on floating marine debris, providing new insights into the scale and movement of plastic pollution in the region.
Organizers say combining marine wildlife research with plastic pollution monitoring will help scientists better understand how environmental changes are affecting some of the Caribbean's most iconic marine species.
The expedition is scheduled to continue through August, with researchers expected to visit numerous Caribbean destinations while gathering one of the most comprehensive datasets ever compiled on the region's marine ecosystems.
Project Calypso underscores the growing importance of regional scientific collaboration in protecting the Caribbean's biodiversity and promoting sustainable management of its marine environment.