Under the watchful eyes of Charles Darwin’s painting, Director Sarah Puntan-Galea presented the annual Chagos Conservation Trust Speaker Event to a packed hall at the Linnean Society of London on 14 May 2026.

The event kicked off with a video summary of the Trust’s recent expedition to the Chagos Archipelago (created by ProVision), as part of its Darwin-funded key rewilding programme ‘Healthy Islands, Healthy Reefs’. This was followed by an address and project overview by the expedition lead Pete Haverson, and the expedition’s deputy lead, the Zoological Society of London’s Rachel Jones.

Other talks included an outline of the plant work undertaken on the expedition by crew member, Kew Gardens’ Grace Flanagan, plus research updates by Dr Tom Bech Letessier on the effects of the pandemic on the sharks in the Chagos Marine Protected Areas and Dr Clara Diaz on mesophotic coral ecosystems of the Chagos, both from University of Plymouth. Swansea University’s Charlotte Oulton gave the final talk on the importance of deepwater seagrass on Chagos fish communities, before all the speakers took questions from the audience – you can watch the event on our YouTube channel here.

The day started with a Finance Committee and Board meeting in the Linnean Society’s Council Room for Trustees. Before CCT members were treated to a tour of the Linnaeus collections – including a restored book dating back to 1488 – before the Annual General Meeting. The day finished with a networking reception in the stunning library.

Finally, our ‘Healthy Islands, Healthy Reefs’ Working Committee – made up of our and partner association scientists and specialists, chaired by CCT Trustee, Scientific Advisor, and Swansea University’s Dr Nicole Esteban – met at the Natural History Museum the next day.