Mr. Terence Vel
- Scientific Laboratory Technician and Field Lecturer
- UniSey Centre for Environment and Education
- Te*********@*******ac.sc
Department of Environment
Contact Us
UniSey Centre for Environment and Education
Focus Areas: Ecology, Communication, Media, Education for Sustainable Development, Biodiversity Conservation, Environmental Education, Community Outreach, Social Marketing, Wetland Restoration, Mangrove Propagation, and Wetland Restoration.
Mr. Terence Vel joined the University of Seychelles (UniSey) in 2015 as a Scientific Laboratory Technician and Field Lecturer for BSc Environmental Science students. He manages the daily operations of the environmental science laboratory and supports student research methods, practicals, and thesis work, including projects of international Master’s and PhD students. He also communicates with parents to support student recruitment for the BSc Environmental Science programme.
In addition to teaching, Terence actively engages in community outreach and environmental education, coordinating initiatives such as the Wildlife Clubs of Seychelles, which connect schools and communities to conservation through hands-on learning. He supports the UniSey Centre for Environment and Education, which provides “living laboratories” for research in mangroves, rivers, coasts, and terrestrial habitats. He studies community perceptions of protected areas and climate change vulnerability, and designs conservation messaging and outreach strategies that resonate with local communities.
Terence has secured Keystone Grant funding from the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF), promoting marine science and conservation education in Seychelles by building local research capacity, raising awareness, and engaging communities in practical conservation actions. His work ensures long-term sustainability and broad dissemination of results to inspire stewardship of marine ecosystems.
QUALIFICATIONS
Diploma in Conservation in Education, University of Kent, School of Anthropology and Conservation (Distinction)
Certificate, Conservation Project Training, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Specialist training in collection management and museum outreach, Imperial College and the Natural History Museum, London
Publications
Hill, M. J., Holm, K., Vel, T. & Shah, N. J. (2003).
Impact of the introduced yellow crazy ant Anoplolepis gracilipes on Bird Island, Seychelles. Biodiversity and Conservation, 12:1969–1984.
Bambini, L., Blyth, A., Bradford, T., Bristol, R., Burthe, S., Craig, L., Downs, N., Laing, S., Marshall-Ball, L., McGowan, D., Vel, T., & Racey, P. (2003).
Another Seychelles endemic close to extinction: the emballonurid bat Coleura seychellensis. African Journal of Ecology, 41:179 186.
Hazell, S. P., Vel, T., & Fellowes, M. D. E. (2007).
The role of exotic plants in the invasion of Seychelles by the polyphagous insect Aleurodicus dispersus: a phylogenetically controlled analysis. Biological Invasions, © Springer, 2007.
Etongo, D., Vel, T., & Mendez, J.
Community perceptions and attitudes towards managing protected areas in Seychelles with Morne Seychellois National Park as a case study. World Development Sustainability, 2023.
Book Chapters / Monograph Series / Submitted Manuscripts
Currie, D., Hill, M. J., Vel, T., & Franchette, R.
Diet of the critically endangered Seychelles Scops Owl Otus insularis: Pellet and video evidence
Submitted manuscript, 2002.
Published in: Monograph Series II – The Ecology of the Seychelles Scops Owl. Nature Seychelles.
Currie, D. (Ed.), with contributions from Vel, T.
The Ecology of the Seychelles (Bare-legged) Scops Owl: Consequences for Conservation and Management. Nature Seychelles, 2002.
Atoll Research Bulletin – Biodiversity Surveys – Author contribution
Michael J. Hill, Terence M. Vel, Kathryn J. Holm, Steven J. Parr, J. Shah
Biodiversity Surveys and Conservation Potential of Inner Seychelles Islands/Bird Island
Atoll Research Bulletin No. 495, Smithsonian Institution, 2002.
Hill, M. J., Vel, T., & Shah, N. J.
The morphology, distribution and conservation implications of introduced rats, Rattus spp., in the granitic Seychelles. (Contained within Atoll Research Bulletin No. 495.
Technical and Consultancy Reports
Senterre, B., Henriette, E., Chong-Seng, L., Beaver, K., Mougal, J., Vel, T., & Gerlach, J. (2011)
Seychelles Key Biodiversity Areas – Output 1: List of species of special concern
Ministry of Environment – UNDP-GEF.
Senterre, B., Henriette, E., Vel, T., & Gerlach, J. (2012a)
Seychelles Key Biodiversity Areas – Output 2: Species distribution data
Ministry of Environment – UNDP-GEF.
Senterre, B., Henriette, E., Vel, T., & Gerlach, J. (2012b)
Seychelles Key Biodiversity Areas – Output 4: Site selection and methodology for inventories
Ministry of Environment – UNDP-GEF.
Etongo, D., D’offay, K., Vel, T., Murugaiyan, P., & Henriette, E.
Stocktake and Lessons Learnt from the Ecosystem-Based Adaptation to Climate Change Project in Seychelles (Technical review document).
Areas of Expertise
- Ecology, Communication, Media, Education for Sustainable Development, Biodiversity Conservation, Environmental Education, Community Outreach, Social Marketing, Wetland restoration. Mangrove Propagation and Wetland Restoration.
- Terence Vel has contributed to the publication platform on Seychelles biodiversity: The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History publishes the Atoll Research Bulletin (ARB), a long-running outlet for island biota research. ARB No. 495 (2002) specifically covered “Biodiversity surveys and conservation potential of inner Seychelles islands,” demonstrating the Smithsonian’s role in disseminating Seychelles conservation science.
