CHAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST
The Chagos Islands have belonged to Britain since 1814 and were constituted as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), in 1965. Since 1966 BIOT has been reserved for the defence purposes of Britain and the United States. The isolation of the Chagos, far from maritime trade routes, and restrictions on access to the islands mean that they and the adjoining reef areas enjoy an exceptionally pure environment, free from the contamination normally associated with human activity. This condition does not just result in a particularly varied and abundant marine and bird life; it also provides a standard for measuring the impact of human pressures on other reef systems. In addition, recent research has provided important information about long term changes in sea levels and sea temperature, and consequently, about the role which this part of the ocean plays in world weather patterns.