RESEARCH ORGANISATION AND PROCEDURE

While the focus of the Low Isles Expedition for the year was biological, although there was, in addition, an independent three month geomorphological survey of the Reef north of the Low Isles, from August to October 1928, financed by the Royal Geographical Society of London and conducted by a small team of three, led by James Steers. The aim of that survey, formulated in England, was to find further evidence on the origin of Reef foundations, and in particular, the relationship of the coastline to submerged reefs, cays, and continental islands, with the aim of assisting the biologists.

As soon as the main Low Isles Expedition team had settled in, the first task was to make a survey of the layout of the Low Isles themselves. The complex consists of two irregularly-shaped islands joined together, some 1800 metres in length and 1200 metres wide, with the long axis lying in a roughly east–west direction. The smaller island, the vegetated coral cay on which the lighthouse had been built and the expedition huts erected, is on the western (mainland) side. The cay itself is of regular oval shape, covering some 2 hectares at low tide, with an adjoining sandflat to the south of around 16.5 hectares. To the east is the mangrove and submerged lagoonal area of much greater dimensions. In the constriction joining the two islands on the northern side was the anchorage and expedition site.