Seychelles: How Scientists Defended the Aldabra Atoll

In 1965, the British government announced plans to build a military base on Aldabra, one of the largest and most intact coral atolls on Earth. The scientific community mobilised, urgently documenting the ecosystem and making the case for its protection. The atoll survived. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the world's largest remaining population of giant tortoises. This is the story of the Aldabra Affair: how a proposed military installation triggered one of the earliest and most consequential battles in modern conservation history, and what Aldabra looks like now as a result. This expedition was conducted in partnership with G42 (g42.ai) TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Aldabra: One of the World's Last Pristine Coral Atolls 0:45 - Aldabra's Ecosystem and Why It Matters 2:25 - The 19