We have just crossed the equator, marking that we're here; we've arrived: we've made it to the center of the earth. At least in Indonesia, this also means the center of tropical biodiversity, and the coral and fish abundance are pretty stellar as well. It makes transects both challenging and rewarding, as I keep encountering species that I've only read about in books, but we're getting the work done and being productive.



In collaboration with scientists at the University of Papua and University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Conservation International (CI) has shown, based on genetic evidence, that many species have evolved here and then dispersed elsewhere. For example, the nearby Cendrawasih Bay has experienced varying degrees of isolation from other waters over time, as sea level rise changes, and as Yeben island has moved slowly across the entrance with tectonic activity. This bay now has endemic fishes and genotypes found nowhere else on earth. The dynamic currents around Raja Ampat have created barriers between this area and nearby Halmahera, further isolating some populations. Such isolation has allowed mutations to take hold in a population, causing speciation, or the process by which new species evolve.



While we're not out to discover any new species this trip, who knows? Here, it's certainly possible. In the meantime, we're running transects and continuing to look for new seamounts.

Surprisingly enough, the center of the Earth is a very busy place indeed!

More soon,

Randi and Crissy