Preserving Socotra:a race against time


Socotra may well be the most alien looking place on Earth. The islands are a unique treasure trove of flora and fauna, located between mainland Yemen and Somalia in the Indian Ocean. The Socotra Archipelago Project is undertaking a critical mission to explore, preserve and protect these fragile and biodiverse islands. With a team of expert scientists and storytellers, we want to ensure that the ‘Jewel of the Arabian Sea’ gets the attention it deserves, and that it so desperately needs – saving it from current storms both literal and political.

Video by Rhys Thwaites-Jones and Martin Edström, edited by TED2019

Our Mission

Dragon's blood island

Socotra’s unique history and heritage is under critical threat, and a safe future is far from certain. By undertaking an epic expedition by foot, camels and dhow boats, and using cameras and next-generation storytelling to engage people, we seek to study and help preserve these islands, and also to present an alternative narrative of the Middle East. This is adventure science meets conservation, from the front line of both climate change and regional warfare

Our work on the island so far has been featured by National Geographic, TED, The Wall Street Journal, New Scientist and the BBC, among others. 

In the eye of the storm

What can Socotra tell us about the climate crisis, extinction and the human journey?

Socotra is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, and has often been called the “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean.” Of the 825 plant species found on Socotra today, 307—37%— are endemic. The islands play host to as many as 11 unique bird species, and over 90% of reptile and mollusc species are found nowhere else on Earth. In eras gone by, Greek and Arab sailors connected this peculiar and plentiful land with paradise, and inscriptions from Ethiopian, Indian and southern Arabian traders in caves on the island offer important insights into the human history here. Now, with its parent country ravaged by civil war, and an unprecedented change in climate that has led to successive destructive cyclones, Socotra’s future hangs in the balance. Through our work we will not only seek to protect the archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage site, but also to gather important data to contribute to the global battle against climate change too.

Socotra satellite image

Diversity at the extremes

Capturing an essential piece of natural history, before it's too late

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Methodology

Adventure science meets conservation and next-generation storytelling

From the front line of both climate change and regional warfare

We bring together a diverse team of experts in their fields to form a large, multi-disciplinary scientific expedition to Socotra; the first such attempt in over twenty years, with the support of world-renowned institutions and using cutting-edge technology. By pursuing a large transect expedition to cover the archipelago we have two primary goals:

Frontline scientific exploration

With a truly multi-disciplinary team of specialists conducting research we want to bring back a more complete understanding of what's happening to Socotra's unique ecosystem and endemism.

Changing the narrative

By engaging top storytellers we will bring the majesty of this island to our audiences all over the globe, sparking interest and care for a truly unique place, while simultaneously helping change the narrative of the Middle East.

The Big Expedition


This is an expedition of epic proportions, on foot and by camel and dhow boats across the archipelago. Our team of local and international experts will cover all corners of Socotra, both terrestrial and marine. We have team members with specialisations ranging from entomology and ethnobotany to climate change and oceanography, and from immersive filmmaking and journalism to virtual reality documentation and 360 degree photography. An expedition of this scale has only been made once before, in 1999, and, with the benefit of new technology and using the data collected from that time, we will be able to show exactly what’s at stake here, and how to help protect it.

Meet the team

Additional key team members include

Get involved

Help bring this critical project to life

Our work in Socotra helps protect a fragile and unique ecosystem and heritage, and is only possible with the help of donors like you. By contributing here, you support the fundraising effort for the upcoming expedition, as well as the work required before we go and upon our return.

Note: If you are interested in US tax deductible donations, please message with your details in the box below, and we’ll be in touch when our status as part of a 501(c)(3) is finalised- we expect this to happen next month.

Get in touch

If you're interested in supporting our project or receiving occasional expedition updates be sure to drop us a line!