New issue of Seychelles Research Journal out |03 August 2022

The cover of the new issue of the Seychelles Research Journal

Moths, Mafia and Mandarin

Research may sound like a dull thing but it’s certainly not. Where else would you find a discussion of Moths, Mafia and Mandarin within the same covers?

Moths because an independent researcher has scoured the outer islands in search of different species of moth, and has discovered that a long-held classification was wrong.

Mafia connections because one of the topics in the new issue of Seychelles Research Journal is a review of Ian McAteer’s new book on the recent history of Seychelles, in which he tells a fascinating story that is in many ways more suited to fiction than fact.

And Mandarin because Dennis Hardy and Wang Dongxia write about the Chinese community in

Seychelles and show how, over time, the languages of the former homeland are largely forgotten. They also give notice of a book about the community that will shortly be published under the title of ‘Orient and Ocean’.

Readers of the journal, which has just been released, will also see how research can lead to very positive and practical outcomes. Daniel Etongo and co-authors show in the present issue how environmentalists are finding ways to counter the adverse effects of climate change. They point, for instance, to a very successful scheme to recover an area of wetlands in Bougainville. And a young researcher, Alessia Lavigne, is breaking new ground to find out what is holding back the reproduction rate of tortoises and turtles. These unique creatures, so emblematic

of Seychelles, need all the help they can get.

The Seychelles Research Journal is a University of Seychelles publication, appearing twice a year. It is published online and can be accessed free at www.seychellesresearchjournal.com

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