Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele Meets with Ocean Conservation Leaders and National Geographic Team.
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele met with ocean conservation advocate Prince Albert II of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi) and specialists from National Geographic’s Pristine Seas expedition aboard the research vessel ARGO.
Accompanying the Prime Minister were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Mines, Energy, and Rural Electrification Bradley Smoky Tovosia and Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Peter Shanel Agovaka.
The meeting also featured Hollywood star and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio, a longtime advocate for ocean conservation, renewable energy, and eco-friendly tourism. DiCaprio participated in discussions on ocean protection.
Paul Rose, leader of the National Geographic Pristine Seas expedition, thanked Prime Minister Manele and the Government of National Unity and Transformation for allowing his team to conduct the expedition in the Solomon Islands, citing the success of the research.
Enric Sala, Executive Director of National Geographic Pristine Seas, noted that, with support from local experts, the expedition used advanced technology to collect data on the state of the Solomon Islands’ oceans and to better understand the country’s nearshore marine ecosystem.
Prime Minister Manele emphasized that the research data would be crucial in aligning the country’s ocean policy with broader economic objectives, ensuring that marine ecosystems contribute to national economic growth.
He further reinforced that the research outcomes would address existing data gaps and present an opportunity to influence ocean protection policies in the Solomon Islands.
The parties also discussed potential follow-up dialogues.
In addition to the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tovosia had the opportunity to explore the Savo underwater ecosystem aboard Pristine Seas’ submarine, ARGONAUTA. This drone-like underwater science lab, capable of diving more than 1,300 meters, is equipped with mud and water samplers, cameras, imaging sonar, underwater lighting, and scaling lasers.
The National Geographic Pristine Seas expedition will also produce a video documentary on the trip, expected to be released in the first half of 2025.
The expedition is a collaborative effort between the Government of Solomon Islands and National Geographic Pristine Seas.
Source: OPMC Press Secretariat
