In June 2015, the Foundation, along with the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), presented the Bahamas Underwater Atlas to the Prime Minister of The Bahamas and the Minister of State for Investments. The Atlas was created from comprehensive scientific surveys and maps the Foundation created on the Global Reef Expedition, and was the first to comprehensively map shallow water marine habitats in The Bahamas.
Meet IFAN: Helping Bring Navigate with Care to the Next Generation
If you’ve ever seen a lighthouse flashing from the shore or a brightly colored buoy bobbing in the water, you’ve seen Aids to Navigation at work.
Aids to Navigation, often called AtoNs, help mariners navigate safely. They can mark channels, warn of hazards, help vessels determine their position, and provide other information people need to make safe decisions on the water. Around the world, these systems help guide everything from small recreational boats to large commercial or container ships.
But safe navigation isn’t only about protecting vessels and the people aboard them. The choices mariners make can also affect the animals and ecosystems beneath and around them.
That connection between maritime safety and ocean conservation is at the heart of this year’s Science Without Borders® Challenge—and of our partnership with this year’s theme sponsor, the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN).
