Introductory remarks

Abstract Aldabra is, on the face of it, a somewhat insignificant subject for so much research— one of a scattered group of four atolls lying between the northern tip of Madagascar (Malagasy) and Mombasa. Its importance lies in its relatively undisturbed character, since all the other elevated atolls in the western Indian Ocean have been exploited for guano, copra, etc., and this distinction has been appreciated for a long time. The reason for its condition is not far to seek, since the atoll has formidable natural defences against intruders. But such obstacles would not stand against planned operations for military purposes, and when it became known that Aldabra was to be surveyed for a staging-post for military aircraft, and as a site for a major B.B.C. station, the Royal Society and other bodies moved quickly to try to prevent massive interference with the atoll. D. R. Stoddart and C. A. Wright accompanied a survey party in September 1966, and their findings strengthened the case for conserving Aldabra for scientific investigation and preservation. The Royal Society, in association with other bodies in Britain and with the Smithsonian Institution and the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, vigorously opposed the proposed installations, and in view of the threat the Royal Society began a series of expeditions to Aldabra.