Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B, Vol. 260. Aldabra is one of a scattered group of four atolls lying between the northern tip of Madagascar and Mombasa. During the 1960s this ecologically significant raised coral atoll came under threat of development from a proposed military airport and a BBC transmitter. This led to an international protest by scientists known as 'the Aldabra Affair'. This work provides detailed reports of a major scientific expedition to Aldabra, under the leadership of Prof. D.R. Stoddart. Over 40 international naturalists were engaged in conducting a study of the flora and fauna of the atoll. In addition to natural history, it also includes reports on geomorphology, climate, human settlement and development, and place names.