Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica: An Underwater Serengetti

Jacques Cousteau called Cocos Island "the most beautiful in the world."  Located about halfway between Costa Rica and Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, it is the only island in the eastern Pacific Ocean supporting tropical rainforest.

What I found underwater, though, was much more impressive.  "Megafauna" - large-bodied species - congregate around the island. Its relative isolation, ocean countercurrents, wind patterns, and underwater seamounts combine to create an ecosystem that supports one of the most amazing displays of marine life on the planet. The sheer abundance of large animals underwater found at one place was unfathomable for me before I visited Cocos.

I will share the beauty of Cocos through photography, what we are learning about the importance of CocosIsland for sea turtles and sharks, and what needs to be done to protect these species at Cocos and during their migrations to and from Cocos.  I will also describe our Cocos Island Citizen Scientist program that is involving divers in collecting data and assisting us on our research expeditions.

Speaker: Todd Steiner, Turtle Island Restoration Network