190 years after Darwin, 2-year expedition launches to retrace his voyage around the world

A tall ship sailing on water — The Darwin200 expedition are crusing all over the world on the Dutch tall ship Oosterschelde. (Picture credit score: Wikimedia/VollwertBIT)

Researchers and conservationists have set off on a two-year voyage to retrace Charles Darwin’s well-known journey throughout the globe. The expedition comes greater than 190 years after the naturalist sailed the world gathering specimens and shaping concepts that may assist him formulate his principle of evolution.

The expedition, named Darwin200, started on Aug. 15 when a world crew set off from Plymouth, England, on board the Dutch tall ship Oosterschelde. The crew will sail greater than 46,000 miles (74,000 kilometers) and drop anchor in 32 totally different ports throughout 4 continents, earlier than ending their journey in Falmouth, U.Okay. Alongside the best way, they’ll accumulate scientific information, prepare future environmentalists and promote conservation.

The expedition’s route will intently comply with Darwin’s authentic voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, which set off from Plymouth on Dec. 27, 1831 and returned to Falmouth on Oct. 2, 1836. Darwin was 22 years outdated when he joined the expedition with the intention of seeing the world earlier than becoming a member of the church. However through the journey, Darwin grew to become fascinated by the big selection of various species he encountered, which ultimately led to him formulating his principle of evolution by pure choice. Darwin’s account of the journey, which was printed after his return, additionally helped him set up his repute as certainly one of Victorian Britain’s educational elite.

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A statue of Charles Darwin sat on a chair

A statue of Charles Darwin on the Nationwide Historical past Museum in London. (Picture credit score: Shutterstock)

The principle purpose of the brand new expedition is to coach and encourage 200 younger environmentalists, between 18 and 25 years outdated, who will every spend every week on board the Oosterschelde finding out threatened species that Darwin encountered on his voyage.

“We wished to create a equally transformative expertise [for the young naturalists],” Stewart McPherson, mission director of Darwin200, mentioned in a assertion. They’ve “the potential to be the STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] and conservation leaders of tomorrow,” he added.

Each week, the crew will broadcast interactive “nature hour” periods reside from the ship for folks internationally.

An old drawing of the HMS Beagle in black and white

The HMS Beagle drawn in 1890 whereas on an expedition in Chile. (Picture credit score: Wikimedia)

The crew may also accumulate necessary information on ocean plastics and coral reef well being, in addition to survey seabirds, whales and dolphins.

The Oosterschelde will make its subsequent cease in Tenerife within the Canary Islands, earlier than heading to Brazil. From there it would cruise round South America earlier than crusing to Australia, New Zealand, Pacific island nations and South Africa, after which lastly returning dwelling.

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