Blog

Last week an article was published on “COP27 must deliver climate finance where it is needed most” in Mongabay. The article was written by our program manager for the Cities and Coasts Project, Dr. Valentine Ochanda, together with Sally Yozell (Environmental Security program at Stimson Center) and Jack Stuart (Environmental Security program). While it’s critical that adaptation financing...Read More

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and Sustainable Seas Trust (SST) are pleased to announce the launch of the Plastics Training Workshop as an interactive online course. Have you ever wished that you had a better understanding of plastics and plastic pollution? If you are a decision-maker, a manager, researcher, educator, or involved...Read More

The Editorial Board of the Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science (WIOJMS) is pleased to announce the release of Special Issue 1/2021 on Socio-ecological change in estuaries of the Western Indian Ocean(WIO). The Special Issue has been guest edited by Dr Johan Groeneveld. The special issue is based on research undertaken by the Estuarize-WIO ...Read More

KMFRI in collaboration with Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Bremen (ZMT) are inviting applications for a regional training workshop on Fish Barcoding and Functional Ecology. The workshop focuses on compiling and sharing both theoretical knowledge and practical laboratory skills. Participants will gain advanced skills to quantify the taxonomic and functional structure of marine fish...Read More

Coastal cities are gateways of trade and transport of countries in the WIO region and sites of key economic activity and infrastructure including ports, airports, hotels and fish markets, as well as providing the workforce that supports key blue economy sectors. The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association and UN Habitat, in partnership with the...Read More

We are delighted to announce the publication of the December 2021 WIOMSA Newsbrief! The WIOMSA Newsbrief contains several interesting stories from WIOMSA and  partners for the October-December quarter. Here’s what is featured in the Newsbrief: the 2021 MASMA and Cities and Coasts Grantees meeting, the Western Indian Ocean Certification of Marine Protected Area Professionals (WIO-COMPAS)...Read More

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and Sustainable Seas Trust (SST) are pleased to announce the launch of the Plastics Training Workshop as an interactive online course. Have you ever wished that you had a better understanding of plastics and plastic pollution? If you are a decision-maker, a manager, researcher, educator, or involved...Read More

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) in partnership with  IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) through funding from the Irish Embassy in Dar es Salaam-Tanzania, is pleased to announce a consultancy for scoping, spatial mapping and suitability site assessment for seaweed and sea cucumber mariculture in Tanga-Pemba Seascape and the development...Read More

Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park has been named a 2021 Blue Park Award winner. The award, by the Marine Conservation Institute, has been conferred on Kisite -Mpugunti for achieving the highest science based-standard for marine life protection and management. Kisite Mpungunti, managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), joins a growing network of 21 Blue Parks...Read More

WIOMSA is pleased to announce the release of the latest issue of the WIOMSA Magazine: People and the Environment! The special feature of Issue 14 is a story on Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park, managed by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), which has just received a gold level Blue Park Award; becoming East Africa’s first ever Blue...Read More

Macquarie University in partnership with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) will be conducting a science – policy training on 22-24  February 2022. The aims of the training are to help the participants increase their knowledge of the barriers and opportunities of translating science to policy, and to provide them with the skills...Read More

WIOMSA and UN Habitat are pleased to invite you to the launch of four cities Blue Economy studies (Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Port Louis and Kilifi) and a strategic “Roadmap for the Development of the Blue Economy in Coastal Cities. The Blue city case studies outline broadly the current situation concerning the blue economy in...Read More

A new assessment of the coral reefs of the Western Indian Ocean shows that they are all at high risk of collapse within the next five decades. Ocean warming and overfishing were identified as the main threats. In the study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-021-00817-0 coral reefs in ten countries in the Western...Read More

After 9 years of implementation, the Blue Solutions Initiative is coming to an end on 31st December 2021. Jointly with the global ocean community, the Blue Solutions Team will celebrate successes and reflect on learnings from almost a decade of practical international cooperation in the marine realm, during a  virtual ceremony on 30th November 2021 from...Read More

A team at the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP) https://www.haw-hamburg.de/en/ftz-nk/programmes/iusdrp/ and European School of Sustainability Science and Research (ESSSR) https://esssr.eu/ is undertaking a World Study on the SDGs at Higher Education Institutions aimed at identifying the extent to which the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been implemented into teaching and research. The project  invites academic staff working...Read More

An interdisciplinary, inter-professional and international floating university project named “École bleu outremer, Cap sur l’Océan Indien” A project fully in line with the main objectives of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainability Development (2021-2030) The Ifremer, jointly with several partners based in the Indian Ocean: IRD, CNRS, University of La Réunion, TAAF (French...Read More

The Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and Africa’s funded MarCOSouth project invites you to a webinar to find out about real-world service and applications using satellite data for routine monitoring and decision-support in Africa. The webinar will take place on 30 November  2021 at 10 am- 1 pm. SAST (8 am-11 am UTC)  The...Read More

WIOMSA in partnership with the Stimson Center has released a new report on “Measuring Multidimensional Climate Risks in East Africa’s Coastal Cities,” with case studies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Mombasa, Kenya. The report was launched at COP 26 in Glasgow Scotland  on the 3rd of November where the  Climate and Ocean Risk Vulnerability...Read More

The UN Environment Programme through its Africa Office in collaboration with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) are organizing a regional consultative meeting to discuss draft Guidelines for development of legislation and related policies on marine litter in Africa in a platform, INTERACTIO on 11 and 12 November 2021. The meeting will be...Read More

The Community Ecology Conference has extended the deadline for abstract submissions to 12 November 2021.  The conference will be held  fully online on  12 – 14 December 2021 . See more details here:  https://akcongress.com/comec/. Authors are invited to submit their oral and poster contributions from the following fields: Community ecology Island biogeography Macroecology Biodiversity and...Read More

The University of Dar es Salaam, WIOMSA  and the Nairobi Convention- through the WIOSAP project- are pleased to announce a call for authors to write chapters for a new publication on Constructed Wetland Technology as a Nature-based Solution for Sustainable Municipal Wastewater Treatment in Western Indian Ocean Region. The project is motivated by the fact...Read More

The WIOMSA video for the One Ocean Science virtual tour has been launched! Dr. Jacqueline Uku, the President of WIOMSA, represents the voice of scientists from the Western Indian Ocean region  as she highlights the importance of  ocean science in improving climate risk management in the face of climate change. The video was one of...Read More

Join  the COP26 Virtual Ocean Pavilion for access to live and on–demand COP26 ocean events, to explore virtual exhibition booths and discover the Treasure Trove to learn more about the ocean and climate connection. Dedicated to showcasing why the ocean matters in climate negotiations and to all life on our planet, the pavilion initiative aims...Read More

Today,  25th October, Ifremer, the CNRS and the IRD, with support from the Ocean & Climate Platform, Thomas Pesquet and ESA, are launching a digital world tour of ocean and climate sciences, christened OneOceanScience. Scientists from the entire world are participating. Together, they will explain why ocean sciences are essential for better understanding and protecting...Read More

The call for applications for the Organization of Women in Science for the developing world (OWSD)-Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early Career Women Scientists in the Developing World is now open. The awards target early career women scientists, rewarding and encouraging women working and living in developing countries who are in the early stages of their...Read More

WIOMSA is pleased to invite tenders for a consultancy on “the MASMA Program Evaluation”. The consultancy’s Terms of Reference are attached. The consulting team must prepare and submit: i) A technical proposal detailing the expertise and work plan required to fulfill the deliverables. ii) A financial proposal outlining the estimated costs associated with achieving the...Read More

WIOMSA is pleased to announce the publication of its 2020 Annual Report, which details the Association’s activities in a year marked by Covid-19 challenges and a period of transition. Despite the unprecedented challenges, WIOMSA has worked hard to adapt and seize new opportunities, as well as re-evaluate numerous aspects of its operations, in order to...Read More

The Reef Resilience Network in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, and the Ocean Sewage Alliance  is excited to launch the Wastewater Pollution Online Course. The course is designed to help marine managers and practitioners understand how wastewater pollution threatens ocean and human health, and what strategies and solutions are available to mitigate wastewater...Read More

Ahead of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 1 – 12  November 2021, IFREMER (the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) in partnership with the IRD (the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development) and the CNRS (the French National Centre for Scientific Research) will be...Read More

The Meerwissen Initiative, in collaboration with the IOC UNESCO has launched a 3rd call for proposals which  aims to strengthen the knowledge base for marine and coastal Nature-based Solutions in selected African countries. This call has been developed as a contribution to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021 – 2030 and successful...Read More

A virtual workshop on biological observations in the Indian Ocean (from microbes to megafauna) will take place on 8-12 November 2021. The workshop is organised by the Indian Ocean Global Ocean Observing System (IOGOOS).  The workshop will focus primarily on best practices for assessing biological essential ocean variables (EOVs) for functional groups, in particular microbes,...Read More

The Benguela Current Convention (BCC) and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), on behalf of the Marine and Coastal Operations for Southern Africa (MarCOSouth), are inviting proposals from senior consultants to to undertake the quantified potential economic benefits and value of Earth Observation services for decision-making on ocean governance and enabling the development...Read More

The call for nominations to the Climate and Ocean – Variability, Predictability, and Change (CLIVAR) panels and the Scientific Steering Group (SSG) is now open, with appointments starting in January 2022 and January 2023 respectively. Nominations can be submitted online via the nomination form. The deadline for the submissions is 15 October, 2021. Detailed information about CLIVAR panels and...Read More

Read all the compelling stories in the latest issue of the WIOMSA Newsbrief! Here’s what we have featured in the September Newsbrief: the winners of the 2021 WIOMSA  awards; the launch of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Outlook by the Nairobi Convention and WIOMSA; and the celebration of the first ever MPA...Read More

ICLEI Africa would like to announce an online course on adapting to climate change and enhancing resilience.  The stakes could not be higher for climate action in Africa – the impacts of climate change will put almost 50 percent of the continent’s GDP at risk by 2023. The continent is also expected to experience an average...Read More

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of International Oceanographic Data and Information  is pleased to announce the “International Ocean Data Conference 2022 – The Data We Need for the Ocean We Want”, to be held in Sopot, Poland between 14-16 February 2022 as a hybrid event. The main objectives of the conference will be: To consider regional and global...Read More

Laure Katz , Blue Nature Alliance has facilitated an informative discussion about using regional approaches to ocean conservation in Africa and South America.  The podcast features  two of our own from the WIO region- Dr. Arthur Tuda, Executive Secretary, Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA)  and Angelique Pouponneau, CEO, Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation...Read More

Nanotech Futuristic Solutions and the WIOMSA Cities and Coasts project are pleased to announce the call for applications for a workshop on Nanotechnology and Its Applications for Sustainable Cities and Coasts, that will take place in Johannesburg South Africa on 29 November- 4 December 2021. This training workshop will equip professionals and practitioners from various...Read More

Photo: © Mark Ziembicki Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), in collaboration with South Eastern Kenya University, Machakos University, Kenyatta University, The University of Nairobi, Centre for Marine and Environmental Research of the University of Algarve and ERACOMA, are organizing a regional training workshop on “Building Capacities of Local Practitioners for the Assessment of...Read More

The Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) in cooperation with WIOMSA, wishes to invite qualified participants to apply for a marine litter monitoring training course. The training will be hosted by KMFRI, on 22 – 30 November 2021. The objective of the course is to provide an in-depth understanding of harmonized protocols for inland...Read More

WILDOCEANS and  CORDIO,  in  collaboration  with National  Parks of  Comoros, the  Faculty  of  Sciences  and Technology  of  the University  of  Comoros, IRD,  AIDE  and  UMAMA, are  pleased  to  invite  applications  for positions  in  a  project,  funded  by  Oceans  5,  which  is aimed  at  improved  management  and  planning  for existing marine protected areas (MPAs) and supporting...Read More

We are pleased to announce that another edition of the WIOMSA Litter Catch Up newsletter is now out! The monitoring programme for marine debris is the first of its kind in Africa and could well be the first in the world, in that teams in seven countries (Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, and...Read More

A new issue of the Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science (WIOJMS) has just been published! WIOJMS Volume 20 : Issue I, contains the following 12 papers: Impact of a ring net fishery in the inshore marine waters of Kilifi on the reproductive biology of six pelagic fish species . David K. Bett, Mwakio Tole,...Read More

In this week’s edition of WIOMSA ScienceNews, we focus on the Climate and Ocean Risk Vulnerability Index (CORVI) project and the Cities and Coasts collaboration to measure coastal city resilience in Dar es Salaam and Mombasa cities. The collaboration will provide critical data and insights for use by city and national governments as well as...Read More

We are pleased to announce the release of the latest WIOMSA Magazine!  Issue 13 of the WIOMSA Magazine: People and the Environment , focusing on “WIO Marine Conservation: people, progress, prospects” , has been inspired by the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Areas Management Network (WIOMPAN).  We are delighted that the renowned Dr. Sylvia Earle has...Read More

The Ocean Exchange is pleased to announce  that its 2021 calls for innovative solutions are now open for entries to compete for monetary awards in the following categories: The Orcelle and Neptune Awards These are two 100,000 USD each monetary awards. The Orcelle Award will go to the innovation that focuses on making the maritime...Read More

A paper – “Integrating biodiversity targets from local to global levels:  A shared earth and ocean approach linking biodiversity and people – for the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework”-   has just been released in this week’s issue of  Science Magazine. In this paper, African scientists, conservationists and community leaders present a ‘shared earth, shared ocean’ framework...Read More

The Nairobi Convention, in collaboration with Swedish partners, is building the WIO Symphony; a common model tool for assessing cumulative impact (to marine ecosystems) in the WIO region. After a year of data preparation, the next step in the process is working on the “sensitivity scores” which is one important component of the spatial model,...Read More

In this week’s edition of WIOMSA ScienceNews, we focus on the “Enabling sustainable exploitation of the coastal tuna species Kawakawa and skipjack in the western Indian ocean” project which is aiming to generate essential information about fisheries in the WIO region and relate this to key economic, biological and environmental information to inform management and...Read More

A new study published in the Wiley Journal of Global Ecology and Biogeography has determined that both human pressures, when coupled with erosion, drought, and sea-level changes (i.e. certain effects of climate change), are the main culprits behind the diminishing mangrove forests in the Western Indian Ocean region. Globally, mangroves provide goods and services estimated to...Read More

The effort to identify numerous communities of plants and animals that occupy the sea floor of the WIO region remains minimal. Nonetheless, there is growing interest amongst researchers in Western India Ocean region to identify and characterize benthic ecosystems. Since 2019, a dedicated team of marine researchers has been studying WIO seabed habitats through the...Read More

This year, a group of young marine enthusiasts, the Youth4MPAs (Youth for Marine Protected Areas), in partnership with WILDOCEANS are hosting the first-ever virtual African Youth Summit on the 19th and 20th of August 2021. The summit aims to mobilise African Youth, encouraging them to take ownership of the global 30×30 target, and to adapt...Read More

WIOMSA ScienceNews provides updates on current WIOMSA-funded research projects. Grantees share their field experiences as well as their research results. In this week’s update, we present a  video from the Smart and Sustainable Transitioning for Coastal Cities in the Face of Global Environmental Change (MIJIBORA) project which has developed a draft Climate change policy for...Read More

Prof. Ursula Scharler (School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban) will be co-hosting another interactive workshop on the topic of Peer Review Excellence with IOP Publishing on 19 August, 1pm – 3:30pm South African Standard time. The workshop offers participants guidance to be an excellent reviewer and includes hands-on experience of evaluating a scientific...Read More

WIOMSA ScienceNews provides updates on current WIOMSA-funded research projects. Grantees share their field experiences as well as their research results. In this week’s update, we look at Ecosystem-Based Coastal Zone Protection: The Effectiveness of Seagrass Meadows in Coastal Erosion Management (The Seagrass Project, in Tanzania). Seagrass restoration successful in Tanzania  Planting a large number of...Read More

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Area Outlook developed by the Nairobi Convention and WIOMSA is trending on regional and global media! The East African newspaper has featured a column on how expanding MPAs will enable East African countries to tap into the Blue Economy. The Maritime Executive has run an editorial by Brian Gicheru...Read More

Nature Seychelles, supported by its international partners the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Porini Foundation, have launched the world’s first Digital Species – the Seychelles Magpie Robin – which is being offered for sale as the first ever Digital #NatureCollectible (a Non-Fungible Token for conservation). “The Seychelles Magpie Robin will take...Read More

The Nairobi Convention, with WIOMSA, launched the WIO MPA Outlook on Friday!  Last up in our series of the MPA Outlook fact sheets is Tanzania and its marine protected areas. Do you know that Tanzania has 2143 square kilometers of oceans protected by MPAs? Local communities have not been left behind either with 19 Collaborative...Read More

The Western Indian Ocean region has declared 143* marine and coastal areas as protected – an area covering 553,163 square kilometers, representing 7 percent of the total Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for the region – according to a new publication by the UN Environment Programme  (UNEP)-Nairobi  Convention  and  the  Western  Indian  Ocean Marine Science Association....Read More

Only one day to go to the launch of the WIO MPA  Outlook by Nairobi Convention and WIOMSA! Today, we  highlight South Africa and its MPAs. The country has made significant progress towards increasing the total coverage of its MPAs which serve important functions for the country including maintaining fish stocks, creating employment opportunities and...Read More

What does success in the achievement of SDG 14.5 look like? The Seychelles is a world class example of success with 16 MPAs covering 26.4 % of its EEZ  and 2600 species protected in its waters. Learn more about this remarkable accomplishment during the launch of the WIO MPA Outlook Report by the Nairobi Convention and...Read More

The 7 MPAs in Mozambique offer valuable ecosystem services such as building resilience  to climate change and extreme weather events, allowing the country to maintain its important fish stocks,  protecting its spectacular biodiversity and promoting  tourism. Join the Nairobi Convention and WIOMSA at the launch of the WIO MPA Outlook on Friday 16 July at...Read More

Mauritius has 18 MPAs and 2 Voluntary Marine Conservation Areas. The objectives of these protected areas range from protection and conservation of marine life to  the enjoyment of the sea and its rich bounty of biodiversity, from provision of job and food security  to providing living laboratories for science and research. Join the Nairobi Convention...Read More

Madagascar has pledged to triple the surface of its MPAs by 2025. It is well on its way to delivering on this pledge with 22 MPAs protecting 14,451 square kilometers of the ocean and 200 locally managed areas that are either legally recognised MPAs or managed by the local communities through legal bylaws. Learn more...Read More

Did you know that 24 coastal communities in Kenya have created informal MPAs to conserve their fisheries and marine resources and secure alternative sources of income?  Kenya is considering declaring 3 additional MPAs in Ras Tenewi and Malindi-Watamu and a Trans-boundary Conservation Area with Tanzania. Want to find out more about some of the remarkable efforts...Read More

Join us at the launch of the Western Indian Ocean MPA Outlook: Towards Achievement of the Global Biodiversity Framework Targets on 16th July 2021. The report outlines the progress made by the governments of the western Indian Ocean towards meeting their commitments of conserving at least 10% of coastal and marine areas by 2020. In...Read More

In preparation for the launch of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) Marine Protected Areas Outlook report 2021, WIOMSA will support the Nairobi Convention in the release of country-specific factsheets presenting key highlights from the report. WIOMSA is honored to be a part of the MPA Outlook! With the help of WIO nation governments, the Nairobi...Read More

The upcoming 10 years are crucial for a healthy ocean. The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) is calling for a transformative research process and placing emphasis on the importance of co-design. The virtual event is part of the UN Ocean Decade Laboratory “An Inspiring and Engaging Ocean” and will promote the...Read More

The Blue Climate Initiative (BCI) is thrilled to announce the launch of its global US$1 Million Ocean Innovation Prize to inspire, fund and support innovations that mitigate climate change through ocean-related strategies. The Prize is presented alongside the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and in collaboration with the Sustainable Ocean Alliance.  Please check out a one-minute video about the Prize...Read More

Kilifi County, Kenya 21st June 2021 – WIOMSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pwani University in Kenya to design and provide courses on Blue Economy and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). The goal is to provide a collaborative framework for the parties to design and implement training programmes linked to Sustainable Blue Economy, as well as to...Read More

On  24th June 2021, a group of 52 representatives from the Western Indian Ocean region participated in the first Adaptive Management Seminar for Marine Protected Areas, hosted by the Nairobi Convention and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) and WIOMSA. This first Seminar focused on the benefits of addressing marine areas protection...Read More

This has been an exciting quarter for WIOMSA and  partners on many fronts. Here is what we are sharing in the June 2021 WIOMSA Newsbrief! We celebrated World Oceans Day with the launch of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Areas Management Network. We participated in the Virtual Early Career Ocean Professionals Day and the...Read More

The Benguela Current Convention (BCC) and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), on behalf of the Marine and Coastal Operations for Southern Africa (MarCOSouth), are inviting proposals from senior consultants to undertake the assessment and demonstrable importance of Earth Observation services for decision-making on ocean governance and enabling the development of the ocean...Read More

Wildlife Conservation Society has created a Virtual Reality video on reefs in Tanzania that was released on World Ocean’s Day. The video is narrated by Dr. Nyawira Muthiga. When viewing the video, please use the arrows at the top to scroll around and see the reef in 360 degrees. View the video here!   Share...Read More

The IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas Programme, in partnership with WIOMSA, has opened a call for applications to be a member of the Expert Assessment Group for the Green List (EAGL) for the West Indian Ocean Region. Further details are attached regarding the IUCN Green List, the benefits and responsibilities of being...Read More

The Nairobi Convention and WIOMSA have partnered to launch the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Areas Managers Network (WIOMPAN) on World Oceans Day. WIOMPAN is a platform where MPA managers, community members, and scientists can collaborate, share cross-project knowledge and learning, and exchange information, experiences and resources to support management of MPAs in the WIO region. To officially launch the...Read More

WIOMSA and the Nairobi Convention cordially invite you to the launch of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Areas Management Network (WIOMPAN).  WIOMPAN is a platform where MPA managers, community members, and scientists can collaborate, share cross-project knowledge and learning, and exchange information, experiences and resources to support management of MPAs in the WIO region. ...Read More

WIOMSA is pleased to celebrate Virtual Early Career Ocean Professional Day (V.ECOP) 2021 with the release of a new video featuring early career scientists and ocean professionals from the WIO! The video features  unique insights and perspectives from 15 ECOPs working or studying in the WIO. It has been produced  in collaboration with the Western...Read More

WIOMSA would like to welcome you to the Virtual Early Career Ocean Professional Day (V. ECOP Day) which will take place on 1st -2nd June 2021 as a 24h livestream event. WIOMSA has prepared two events to celebrate VECOP 2021! A webinar organized by early career professionals of the WIO and a session on Oceans...Read More

The Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO and the UNESCO Regional Office for eastern Africa invite you to a virtual live stream event to celebrate World Oceans Day 2021 on 8th June 2021 at 8.30-13.30 HRS EAT. Join in discussions on sensitizing stakeholders on threats to ocean health, opportunities,...Read More

This is not your traditional scientific conference – WIOGEN aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and policy makers to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Ocean Governance in the Western Indian Ocean. It will provide an interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to meaningfully network and...Read More

WIOMSA would like to welcome you to the Virtual Early Career Ocean Professional Day (V.ECOP Day) which will take place on 1st – 2nd June 2021 as a 24hr livestream event. On the 2nd of June 2021 at 10:00 to 12:00 EAT you can visit the WIOMSA virtual booth which will be showcasing presentations about...Read More

Register for a virtual training event – The WIO Benthic Imagery Workshop 30th August to the 3 September 2021! Researchers/technicians/students from the WIO region interested in benthic research are invited to register for a virtual training event. Hosted by the DFFE and sponsored by WIOMSA through its Marine and Coastal Management Programme, the virtual training...Read More

The survey is developed by Dr. Paris Stefanoudis and colleagues at the University of Oxford and they would be very grateful for your help!  Are you working, or have you worked on the design, designation and/or management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in any of the following countries: Comoros, Kenya, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa (Indian...Read More

WIOMSA, in collaboration with WIOECSN,  is pleased to invite early career ocean professionals to share their ocean experience  by  submitting short 2 minute video clips to be featured in the WIOMSA booth at V.ECOP. Videos must be submitted to wiomsaonline@gmail.com by 20 May 2021. Get the details here         Share this:Click to...Read More

WIOMSA through the Cities and Coasts Project is inviting proposals for supporting the organization of training courses/workshops & publications! The C & C Project is inviting proposals to support training courses, writing workshops, and books/manuals. These proposals target different groups, including scientists, policy-makers, NGOs and local government representatives. Proposals should focus on key regional issues....Read More

We are pleased to announce that another edition of the WIOMSA Letter Catch Up newsletter is now out! About this edition: Despite the inhibitions placed on the activities of the monitoring teams by the COVID-19 pandemic, some teams have managed to continue the work. In other countries, restrictions on travel, working in groups, and access...Read More

WIOMSA through its MASMA programme, is pleased to announce a call for proposals to support the organization of courses and publication of books and manuals. The deadline for submission of proposals is 11 June 2021. Applications should be completed, and support documents uploaded at http://proposals.wiomsa.org/masma-proposals/ Questions for clarification should be sent by e-mail to secretary@wiomsa.org. Share this:Click...Read More

WIOMSA is inviting submission of proposals for its Marine Research Grant (MARG I) programme. The MARG I programme provides young and upcoming scientists with a reliable and flexible mechanism to turn their ideas into research projects. Please note that all applications must be submitted through the online system. Only those applications submitted via this system...Read More

This article is a part of WIOMSAs video series “Voices of MARG Grantees”.  Marine Research Grant I (MARG I) is a capacity building programme of WIOMSA that targets young and upcoming scientists with the aim of providing them with opportunities to undertake independent studies. Some of this research has led to publications in international peer reviewed journals...Read More

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), the Sustainable Seas Trust (SST), and the Nairobi Convention are pleased to announce the Twelfth WIOMSA Scientific Symposium, which will be held in Port Elizabeth in October 2022 as a hybrid virtual/ in-person Symposium.  Read the full announcement here!  SYMPOSIUM DATES: The Symposium will be held on Monday,...Read More

The conference aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and policy makers to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Ocean Governance in the Western Indian Ocean. It will provide an interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered...Read More

This article is a part of WIOMSAs video series “Voices of MARG Grantees”.  Marine Research Grant I (MARG I) is a capacity building programme of WIOMSA that targets young and upcoming scientists with the aim of providing them with opportunities to undertake independent studies. Some of this research has led to publications in international peer reviewed journals...Read More

On 11 May, 2pm – 5 pm South African Standard time, Prof. Ursula Scharler (School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban) will be co-hosting an interactive workshop on the topic of Peer Review Excellence with IOP Publishing. The workshop offers participants guidance to be an excellent reviewer and includes hands-on experience of evaluating a...Read More

This article is a part of WIOMSAs video series “Voices of MARG Grantees”.  Marine Research Grant I (MARG I) is a capacity building programme of WIOMSA that targets young and upcoming scientists with the aim of providing them with opportunities to undertake independent studies. Some of this research has led to publications in international peer reviewed journals...Read More

This article is a part of WIOMSAs video series “Voices of MARG Grantees”.  Marine Research Grant I (MARG I) is a capacity building programme of WIOMSA that targets young and upcoming scientists with the aim of providing them with opportunities to undertake independent studies. Some of this research has led to publications in international peer reviewed journals...Read More

A new issue of the Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science (WIOJMS) has just been published! This issue contains 12 articles: The influence of habitat preference on longitudinal population composition and distribution of Groupers (Serranidae) in Chumbe Island Coral Park, Zanzibar, Tanzania Caroline Daley The trophic structure of fish in seaweed farms, and adjacent...Read More

The March 2021 issue of the WIOMSA Newsbrief is a bumper edition filled with informative news on the recently concluded regional Science to Policy meeting convened by the Nairobi Convention and WIOMSA; the results of the vote by WIOMSA Members on the WIOMSA General Assembly and Board Tenure; new projects under WIOMSA’s research programmes; updates...Read More

Don’t forget to register for the IUCN Green List webinar happening on 31th March 2021 at 10:00 East African Time.  Register here!  For who? Marine protected area/conserved area managers Conservation NGOs Publics agencies & administrations Scientists Webinar objectives: What is the IUCN Green list How it can be applied in the WIO region Share experiences...Read More

Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, is an internationally networked aquatic research institute within the ETH Domain (Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, through its The department of Systems Analysis, Integrated Assessment and Modelling is inviting applications for a Tenure Track Group Lead in Integrative Ecological Systems Analysis. Closing date for applications: 10...Read More

Save the date for a webinar on the IUCN Green list! For who? Marine protected area/conserved area managers Conservation NGOs Publics agencies & administrations Scientists Webinar objectives: What is the IUCN Green list How it can be applied in the WIO region Share experiences from other countries Discuss WIO interest in the Green list process...Read More

Friday 5 March 2021, 1500-1600 HRS EAT Have you  registered  to join us for the virtual event to launch WIOMSA’s latest publication  Exercises in Marine Biodiversity and Ecology: A Training Manual using the intertidal habitats of the WIO Region?  Download the  Event Programme here. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens...Read More

The January 2021 issue of the newsletter of the marine litter monitoring programme, Litter Catch Up is out! This issue reports accumulation, riverine, floating, standing stock, benthic surveys and awareness and community engagement activities carried out in recent months in Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, South Africa and Tanzania. Download the full issue. Share this:Click to share...Read More

Join us for the launch of our new book ‘Exercises in Marine Biodiversity and Ecology: A training manual using the intertidal habitats of the WIO region’. The book will be launched during an online event on 5th March 2021, at 3-4 pm EAT. Register here!  Deadline for registration is 4th March 2021.   Share this:Click...Read More

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) is delighted to announce the upcoming release of a new training manual, Exercises in Marine Biodiversity and Ecology: A Training Manual using the Intertidal Habitats of the WIO region. You are invited to participate in the online launch from 1500 – 1600 on March 5, 2021. Download...Read More

The special issue of the Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, titled ‘Productivity in the East African Coastal Current under climate change has just been published. This issue, has the following articles: i) Majuto Manyilizu, Philip Sagero, Issufo Halo, Shigalla B. Mahongo – A comparative study of ocean surface interannual variability in Northern Tanzania...Read More

The Stimson Center, in partnership with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association, is currently conducting two city climate risk assessments in Mombasa and Dar es Salaam. Using the Climate and Ocean Risk Vulnerability Index (CORVI) methodology, the projects will integrate information and resilience work already underway across the land-seascape, and culminate in innovative new datasets...Read More

If you have not cast your vote regarding the decision to change the WIOMSA General Assembly calendar and extension of the term of the 7th Board of Trustees, please do so as the deadline is tomorrow, 15th January 2021. For more details, please read here.   Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on...Read More

If you have not casted your vote regarding the decision to change the WIOMSA General Assembly calendar and extension of the term of the 7th Board of Trustees, please do so as the deadline is nearer. The deadline for voting is 15th January 2021. For more details, please read here. Share this:Click to share on...Read More

This second special issue of the WIOMSA magazine whose theme is ecosystem restoration captures the excellent and often under-reported work that is going on across the western Indian Ocean (WIO) region. Being released on the eve of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the two latest issues of the Magazine, produced jointly by WIOMSA...Read More

Are you a paid WIOMSA member? The WIOMSA Board of Trustees took a decision to submit two key decision items to an electronic vote of the WIOMSA Members. Voting is now open to members on the WIOMSA portal. Read about the vote in the latest issue of the WIOMSA Newsbrief. Share this:Click to share on...Read More

Read the latest issue of the WIOMSA Newsbrief which features articles on the timing of the next WIOMSA General Assembly and the term of the WIOMSA Board of Trustees. We share news from the Marine and Coastal Science for Management (MASMA) programme and the Cities and Coasts project, highlights from newly published papers, regional news,...Read More

The latest issue of the newsletter of the marine litter monitoring programme, Litter Catch Up is out! This issue reports accumulation, riverine, floating, standing stock and benthic surveys carried out between July and October 2020 in Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa and Tanzania. Download the full issue.   Share this:Click to share on Twitter...Read More

DAAD Doctoral Scholarship for scholars from Sub-Sahara Africa with ZMT on topics of “Adaptation of marine socio-ecological systems to changing environments”!  The Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) advertises 2 doctoral scholarships starting in Fall 2021. Additionally, 2 further doctoral scholarship can be granted starting in 2022. The scholarships will be granted by the DAAD...Read More

Proposed date: 24th of November 2020 Time: 17:00 to 18:30 pm (Nairobi, East Africa Time) Proposed format: Presentation of perspectives and Discussions Workshop venue: Dialogue, using Zoom platform Registration link: https://awf-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYodumsrD0rHt2ICayxxn0yUDRZd_pTH2zy   Download the full announcement.   Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Read More

The Remote Sensing and Mapping for Coral Reef Conservation Online Course is designed to help marine managers, conservation practitioners, scientists, decision makers, and GIS professionals decide whether remote sensing products and mapping technologies can help inform their conservation and restoration work, and which tools are best suited to their needs. It prominently features the Allen...Read More

Webinar by TCC-Africa on ‘Scholarships: Challenges and Opportunities for Researchers in the Global South’ Description of webinar:  What are the challenges in student financing in the Global South? What opportunities exist for early career researchers (Undergraduate- PostDocs)? What Global partnerships exist to provide scholarships to early career researchers? When? Nov 27, 2020, 12:00 PM East...Read More

Stimson Center and WIOMSA Partner to Measure Climate Risk in Mombasa, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Stimson’s CORVI assessment tool will help both cities determine their vulnerability to climate change, integrate risks into their decision making, and prioritize actions that can build resilience and access climate finance. WASHINGTON, DC – The Stimson Center and...Read More

The latest issue of the Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science has just been published. This issue, Vol 19, No 1 (2020) has the following articles: i) Vilma Machava-António, Salomão O. Bandeira, Célia C. Macamo, Rosalina Mahanzule – Value chain analysis of mangrove forests in central Mozambique: Uses, stakeholders and income ii) Walter Jabali,...Read More

The deadline for submission of Discussion papers for the WIO Science to Policy meeting to be held in February 2021 has been extended to 30 November 2020. For more details on the criteria for reviewing the discussion papers; objectives, structure and themes of the Science to Policy workshop, please download the concept note.    ...Read More

Invitation to attend online seminar on building institutional and stakeholders capacities on marine spatial planning: Building capacity of institutions and stakeholders involved in the MSP process for the Kenyan EEZ and nearshore!  When? 21-22 October 2020, 9:00-13:30 (GMT+3) Registration day 1: http://on.unesco.org/KE_EEZ1 Registration day 2: http://on.unesco.org/KE_EEZ2 Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new...Read More

2019 was a year of remarkable progress and impact for WIOMSA. The 2019 Annual report captures how WIOMSA has worked mindfully and effectively to take advantage of the opportunities presented to work at the intersection of science, management, policy and society in the coastal and marine environment of the Western Indian Ocean region. The various...Read More

Blue Action Fund is interested in setting up a network of evaluators of its grant programme. To that effect, it is seeking Expressions of Interest from qualified candidates in Eastern and Western Africa and the Eastern Tropical Pacific Regions. With a growing grant portfolio, the objective is to identify a small number of experts in...Read More

In response to the decisions of the Contracting Parties, the Nairobi Convention Secretariat and WIOMSA in collaboration with partners will convene a Science to Policy meeting in February 2021. The meeting will promote the link between science and policy for evidence-based decision making and provide the COP with timely technical advice and policy recommendations for...Read More

Seagrass beds are crucial ecosystems providing economic and food security for coastal communities around the globe, including those in the Western Indian Ocean region. A new set of Guidelines on seagrass restoration for the region aim to support the restoration of degraded seagrass beds. The new Guidelines on Seagrass Ecosystem Restoration for the Western Indian...Read More

Are you up to date with the latest happenings at WIOMSA and the region? Take a look at the latest edition of the WIOMSA Newsbrief which is full of great and exciting content! Read how WIOMSA projects are responding to COVID- 19, the launch of the WIOMSA Presidential Award, highlights from recently published papers, upcoming...Read More

The Group of Experts on Marine Litters and Microplastics is inviting expression of interest from three senior experts each to prepare a report on different aspects of marine litter in the WIO region. The reports will focus on three inter-related studies that will assess (i) the status of marine litter and microplastics knowledge in the...Read More

These new guidelines aim to support sustainable management of Western Indian Ocean (WIO) water resources. For many communities living in the WIO region, rivers are an essential resource for food, employment, and energy. The new publication, Guidelines for the Assessment of Environmental Flows in the Western Indian Ocean Region, aims to help communities and governments...Read More

The Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) support Ph.D. level ocean scientists from developed and developing countries to teach short courses and provide extended on-site education and mentorship at developing country institutions. They are now accepting applications for the 2021 Visiting Scholar program. Applications will be reviewed by the SCOR Committee on Capacity Building based on...Read More

The President of WIOMSA, Dr. Jacqueline Uku, will be one of the Global Voices of Ocean and Human Health during the virtual session on ‘Ocean and Human Health’. The session is a part of the Ocean Decade virtual series and is convened by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO in partnership with the Seas, Oceans and Public...Read More

Yesterday, 16th of September, the Nairobi Convention and WIOMSA published a new report on ‘State of Ocean Governance in the Western Indian Ocean Region’. The State of Ocean Governance in the Western Indian Ocean Region reviews the status and trends in ocean governance in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) and identifies key gaps, challenges, and opportunities...Read More

WIOMSA has joined the American Fisheries Society (AFS) and 110 other aquatic scientific societies on a statement on the need to take urgent action against human-caused climate change, based on scientific evidence. The societies call for drastically curtailed global greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of man-made climate change to fish and aquatic...Read More

WIOMSA and the Nairobi Convention have jointly produced two issues of the WIOMSA Magazine focusing on restoring damaged coastal ecosystems.  The publication of this issue of the  Magazine in 2020 is quite timely, coinciding with the start of the decade of ecosystem  for which the United Nations has unequivocally reaffirmed that “restoring damaged ecosystems is an efficient...Read More

Join the Reef Resilience Network for the first webinar of a series of online activities and events about ocean sewage pollution – an enormous environmental problem that few people are talking about. During the kickoff webinar, Dr. Stephanie Wear of The Nature Conservancy will provide an overview of the issue of ocean sewage pollution; how sewage impacts the well-being...Read More

The latest issue of the newsletter of the marine litter monitoring programme, Litter Catch Up is out! This issue reports the on-going marine litter monitoring activities in Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, and South Africa. Download the full issue. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new...Read More

The Reef Resilience Network is developing online resources to support coral reef managers’ understanding of and response to sewage pollution. Their goal is to provide useful content and practical tools to help protect marine ecosystems from the threats of pollution. They now need your help to assess existing perceptions about sewage pollution and provide insight about current activities,...Read More

Invitation to join a webinar about new Seagrass Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) guidance for how community groups can use PES to plan, fund, and facilitate seagrass conservation projects. See what this work looks like on the ground through Mikoko Pamoja, a community-led mangrove and seagrass conservation and restoration project based in southern Kenya. Speakers:...Read More

Applications are now open for the GMES&Africa and Copernicus Marine Earth Observation Online Training Course. This training is organised by the MarCoSouth GMES&Africa consortia in collaboration with EUMETSAT. The course will take place entirely online and will run in two different phases between 28 September and 16 October 2020. This training course is designed to...Read More

WIOMSA celebrates Marine Rangers on World Ranger Day 31st July 2020 Marine Rangers in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region work tirelessly to protect some of the region’s important marine habitats and species like marine turtles, sharks and dugongs – animals that are also among the most widely targeted by poachers for the illegal wildlife...Read More

Launching today – new guidelines to support mangrove restoration in the Western Indian Ocean!  For many coastal communities, including those in the Western Indian Ocean region, mangroves are critical to economic and food security. A new set of guidelines on mangrove restoration for the region aims to support the restoration of its degraded mangrove ecosystems...Read More

WIOMSA is inviting submission of proposals for its Marine Research Grant (MARG I) for 2021. The MARG I programme provides young and upcoming scientists with a reliable and flexible mechanism to turn their ideas into research projects. From now onwards, calls for MARG I proposals will be issued in the second half of the year,...Read More

Today the Western Indian Ocean Science Association (WIOMSA) and Sustainable Seas Trust (SST) introduce the African Marine Litter Monitoring Manual: a guide to monitoring litter from source to sea.  This manual is the result of a joint effort by WIOMSA, which initiated the Western Indian Ocean Litter Monitoring Programme, and the African Marine Waste Network...Read More

Read the latest WIOMSA Newsbrief which features articles on MASMA, MARG and the Cities and Coast Project, six newly published papers, regional news, new publications and the naming of a new genus of sea-cucumber- Chantalia conandae- in honour of the former WIOMSA board member and Honorary Member of WIOMSA Prof. Emeritus Chantal Conand. We hope you...Read More

The deadline for submission of articles for the special issue of the WIOMSA Magazine on “Restoring damaged WIO Coastal Ecosystems” has been extended until 3rd July 2020!  For the next edition of the WIOMSA Magazine, we are inviting articles on the theme “Restoring damaged WIO Coastal Ecosystems”. Restoration of coastal ecosystems is regarded as a viable...Read More

WIOMSA as a partner of the MeerWissen: African-German Partners for Ocean Knowledge programme (funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development-BMZ-and implemented with support from GIZ), is pleased to announce the publication of two reports: i) Enhancing Science-to-Policy Uptake in the Western Indian Ocean Region: Background Document and Guidelines on Effective Science...Read More

Monday, June 8, 2020, is World Oceans Day. Although this is a celebration, this year it is also time for us to reflect as individuals, as citizens and as members of a global community. This has been a strange year worldwide, when a Pandemic has pushed all other thoughts from our minds. Read the press release...Read More

The edition is the second part of a series inspired by the Women in Marine Science Network (WiMS) based on the theme “Breaking the class ceiling; Stories from women who are making a difference in coastal and marine resource management”.  The editor, Rebecca Loustau-Lalanne, sums up this special issue that comes to you in the midst...Read More

The call for applications for an Early-Career Scientist (ECS) to join the SCOR Executive Committee is open. The ECS in the SCOR EC will help reaching out to the broader early-career community and get it involved into SCOR activities. Position Description: The early-career scientist will have the same responsibilities as other SCOR Executive Committee members (see https://scor-int.org/scor/about/officers/job-descriptions/) with...Read More

WIOMSA is inviting nominations of candidates for the WIOMSA Emerging Scientist Award. The award recognizes significant achievements and outstanding contributions made by emerging scientists for research in coastal and marine sciences in the WIO region. The deadline for submission of nominations is 30th June 2020. Download the full announcement. Share this:Click to share on Twitter...Read More

The Islands and Small States Institute of the University of Malta is accepting expressions of interests from researchers to apply for Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships, within the framework of the Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions. The Islands and Small States Institute of the University of Malta has over 30 years of experience and is recognised...Read More

A research group located in the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science (EGS) at University of Cape Town (UCT), working with the UK – led One Ocean Hub (OOH) Project, is inviting applications for a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow. Applications should be sent to Fahdelah.Hartley@uct.ac.za and should include: A comprehensive CV, including names and contact details...Read More

For the next edition of the WIOMSA Magazine, we are inviting articles on the theme “Restoring damaged WIO Coastal Ecosystems”. Restoration of coastal ecosystems is regarded as a viable nature-based solution in achieving a wide range of global development goals. It is for this reason that 2021–2030 has been proclaimed the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem...Read More

WIOMSA is pleased to announce an inaugural call to support innovative actions (demonstration and pilot projects), through the Innovation for Sustainability Grant programme. To address modern-day marine sustainability challenges, the grant programme supported by both the Marine and Coastal Science for Management (MASMA) programme and the Cities and Coasts (C&C) project, is established to bridge...Read More

Identifying local governance capacity needs for implementing climate change adaptation in Mauritius By Louis Celliers (louis.celliers@hzg.de) & David Samuel Williams (david.williams@hzg.de) This new paper is one of a series of such papers on the importance of local coastal governance for climate change adaptation. The research project was funded by the WIOMSA MASMA Project entitled Emerging...Read More

The deadline for submission of application for the Regional Training Workshop on “The Use of Underwater Camera Systems to Sample Benthic Invertebrate Communities of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) Region” has been extended from 15 April 2020 to 18 May 2020. Download the full announcement. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click...Read More

The third issue of the newsletter Litter Catch Up is out! This latest issue reports the on-going marine litter monitoring activities in Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, and South Africa. Download the full issue. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Read More

Read the latest WIOMSA Newsbrief which features articles on the UN Decade of Ocean Science in the Western Indian Ocean, newly published papers such as the regional connectivity and the placement of MPAs in the WIO region and the challenges of small scale fisheries. We also cover a range of events that have taken place in...Read More

WIOMSA is inviting nominations of candidates for the WIOMSA Fellow and Honorary members program. Fellow and Honorary memberships are awarded to individuals in recognition of their exemplary/ outstanding/ distinguished contribution to the development of marine science research in the region and/or problem-solving and actions geared towards improving the management of coastal and marine environment in...Read More

The Indo-Pacific Fish Conference (IPFC) is accepting nominations for the Bleeker Awards for 2021. The award, named after Pieter Bleeker, honours individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of ichthyology in the Indo-Pacific. Two awards in ichthyology will be conferred; one for distinguished contributions to Systematics and one for distinguished contributions to Ecology....Read More

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), in collaboration with the University of Comoros and the University of Dar es Salaam (Institute of Marine Sciences and the College of Agriculture Sciences and Fisheries Technology), are organizing a Regional Training Workshop on “The Use of Underwater Camera Systems to Sample Benthic Invertebrate Communities of the Western Indian...Read More

SPC Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems Division has just published seven new publications: i) The SPC Fisheries Address Book 2020, which lists over 1500 fisheries-related contacts. It is updated every year. ii) Four reports to support gender-responsive programming approaches to fisheries and aquaculture in:  Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu iii) A Regional Framework on Aquatic Biosecurity to provide regional guidance...Read More

The IOI-SA will be running the annual course in Ocean Governance for Africa in collaboration with the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI), the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and other partners, from the 7th September to the 2nd October 2020. The course will be held in Cape Town, South Africa.  The deadline for...Read More

The One Planet Fellowship Created in December 2017 at Emmanuel Macron’s One Planet Summit, the One Planet Fellowship aims to create a community of African and European researchers working on climate change adaptation in Africa’s agricultural sector. This five-year program is supported by the BNP Paribas and Bill & Melinda Gates foundations, the European Commission...Read More

GERICS (HZG), within the frame of the INNOVA project and in collaboration with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), is planning a regional training event on the use of Systems Dynamics to understand and plan mainstreaming climate change adaptation and coastal management making use of innovative climate services in the Western Indian Ocean...Read More

In December 2019, scientists announced the approval of 37 new Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) in the Western Indian Ocean and Arabian Seas. The new IMMAs highlight key habitats for various threatened marine mammal species, including endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins, and the threatened dugong. IMMAs are an important first step toward greater protection efforts,...Read More

The Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) Bremen in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the National Institute of Aquatic Resources in Denmark (DTU Aqua) and the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) Zanzibar are organizing a two week training course on the assessment of stock status and the...Read More

ICLEI Africa, with the support from the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), is hosting an interactive and participatory four-day regional training workshop where coastal cities in Africa can begin to develop Climate Change Adaptation Action Plans (CCAPs) with a specific focus on coasts. These action plans are the first and essential step in...Read More

The WIOMSA Board of Trustees has appointed Arthur Tuda as the new Executive Secretary effective 1st February 2020. Arthur will take over the wheels of WIOMSA as part of the succession plan of the Association. The outgoing Executive Secretary, Julius Francis will remain as an advisor for few months to ensure a smooth transition. Arthur...Read More

WIOMSA is inviting expressions of interest to host the Twelfth WIOMSA Scientific Symposium from all the countries in the region including those that have hosted the symposium before. The twelfth Symposium is scheduled to be held in the second half of 2022, preferably in October or November 2022. The deadline for submission of expressions of...Read More

The latest issue of the Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science has just been published. This issue, Vol 18, No 2 (2019) has the following articles: i) Francis P. Mmanda, Jan Erik Lindberg, Anna N. Haldén, Torbjorn Lundh – Mineral content in local feed ingredients used by fish farmers in four different regions of...Read More

In December 2019, the Kenya Government in collaboration with UNDP organized the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy Western Indian Ocean (WIO) Regional Meeting in Mombasa, Kenya under the “Protect, Produce, Prosper” theme. The meeting was attended by 91 participants. The meeting report proposes A Call to Action, from the WIO Regional Bloc, to...Read More

Are you a young marine scientist from the Western Indian Ocean region? We would like to hear from you! The WIO Early Career Scientist Network (ECSN) has been operational since 2015. Recently, it was agreed that the Network will operate under WIOMSA. In this regard, WIOMSA has commissioned a study to assess the needs and...Read More

The second issue of the newsletter Litter Catch Up is out! This newsletter focuses on reporting on the on-going marine litter monitoring activities in seven WIO countries, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa and Tanzania. Download the full Issue. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens...Read More

13 Nov 2019 to 15 Nov 2020 Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO) will be offering a number of shipboard fellowship opportunities onboard research vessels during 2019/2020. This programme is designed to promote training and capacity building leading towards a global observation scheme for the oceans. For more details, read here. Share this:Click to...Read More

WIOMSA in collaboration with UN-Habitat, has contracted Arup to develop a working document on ‘Coastal Cities of the Western Indian Ocean and the Blue Economy’ and a ‘Roadmap for the Development of the Blue Economy’ in Coastal Cities. This Roadmap aims to provide strategic guidance and recommendations to help cities in current and future planning...Read More

The preregistrations for the VLIR-UOS scholarship for the Master of Science in Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management (‘Oceans and Lakes’) for 2020-2022 are now open! More info on our website: http://www.oceansandlakes.be/node/28 Deadline of the application: 1 February 2020. Hear about the story of a few of our VLIR-UOS alumni in the video below (made in...Read More

Read the latest issue of the WIOMSA Newsbrief. The December Newsbrief features articles on WIOMSA’s  annual grantees meeting, news from the Cities and Coast and MASMA competitive grant initiatives, a story on the role of the Western Indian Ocean in the first ever Marine Regions Forum in Berlin,  the kick off meeting of the WIOGEN project, a global study...Read More

The Rhodes University Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science (DIFS) in collaboration with WIOMSA are offering the first University-accredited regional Introductory MPA Management Training Course which will be run from the 30th March to the 3rd April 2020 at the Rhodes University, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The deadline for submission of application is 16h00 (SAST,...Read More

WIOMSA, through its Cities and Coasts project, is announcing calls for research proposals to conduct research and to support the organization of training courses/workshops. For detailed instructions on these grants, download the full announcement for the calls and the guidelines for preparing proposals. The deadline for submission of proposals is 1 March 2020. Applications should be completed and support...Read More

WIOMSA through the MASMA programme, is pleased to announce two calls: i) A call for research proposals ii) A call for proposals to support organizations of training courses/workshops and Publications of books/manuals. Please read the instructions carefully and prepare your proposals accordingly. Proposals prepared not according to the format will not be reviewed. Download the...Read More

The Women in Marine Science Network (WiMS) has inspired the release of two special editions of the WIOMSA Magazine featuring the stories of women working in the marine and coastal field in the Western Indian Ocean region and beyond. Breaking the class ceiling: stories from women who are making a difference in coastal and marine...Read More

WIOMSA is inviting submission of proposals for its Marine Research Grant (MARG) Program for 2020. The MARG programme provides young and upcoming scientists with a reliable and flexible mechanism to turn their ideas into research projects and also offers opportunity for presentation of research results at various regional and international fora. Please note that, applications...Read More

The aim of this conference is to provide a forum for a wide range of ocean experts and stakeholders to engage with the latest developments impacting on ocean governance from developmental, ecosystem-based and human-rights-based approaches, before starting to reflect and give direction on what transformed and transformative ocean governance means and requires. Confirmed speakers include...Read More

Read the latest issue of the WIOMSA Newsbrief which features articles on  various marine litter initiatives in the region, the development of the Western Indian Ocean Governance Strategy, news from the cities and coasts and MARG project grantees,  meetings and workshops that have taken place in the region, the release of  WIO Journal of Marine Science Volume 18...Read More

In the WIOMSA Marine Litter Workshop held in April 2019 in Mombasa, Kenya, it was agreed that a a quarterly newsletter be established to report on the progress of implementation of the marine litter projects in seven countries. The first issue of the Litter Catch Up was published in October 2019. The Newsletter is a...Read More

South African Marine Sciences Symposium (SAMSS) 6-9 July 2020 | Elangeni Hotel, Durban Please find attached the first announcement of the South African Marine Sciences Symposium (SAMSS) which will be held in Durban during 6-9 July 2020. The conference theme is 20/20 vision: Marine Science for the future South Africa. 6 July: Workshops and Courses...Read More

About Dahari Founded in February 2013 following a five-year pilot project, Dahari has quickly established itself as one of the leading NGOs in the Comoros with a multicultural team of 75 full- and part-time employees. Dahari’s holistic intervention model covers agricultural and agro-forestry development, forest management around watersheds, ecological research, conservation of biodiversity, and the...Read More

As 2018 marked WIOMSA’s 25th Anniversary, the Annual report features an inspiring ” Word from the WIOMSA President”chronicling the key success factors and major achievements of WIOMSA and the new directions for the Association. The report outlines the projects and activities that the Association undertook in 2018 including governance and strategic decisions, strengthening scientific research for...Read More

23rd-24th January 2020: Africa 2030 – Strengthening the Capacity of African Countries to handle the Challenges of a Changing Environment, Nairobi, Kenya 3rd SYMPOSIUM ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN AFRICA It is widely known that Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change. As the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) produced by the...Read More

The Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) is currently accepting applications for 2020 Conservation Awards! CLP awards are offered to teams of early-career conservationists to conduct projects on species that are categorized as Data Deficient, Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Team members should have less than 5 years’ professional experience in the conservation sector and projects...Read More

The DANIEL JOUVANCE FOUNDATION, in collaboration with the Sorbonne University (F) and the University of Namibia (UNAM), will organize the 4th International School in Marine Biology at the Sam Nujoma Campus, University of Namibia, Henties Bay, Namibia from January 26th to February 1rst, 2020. The Daniel Jouvance – SU International School in Marine Biology is...Read More

This is to inform you that the last date for submission of abstracts to the International Indian Ocean Science Conference (IIOSC) is extended up to 15 November, 2019. You are invited to submit abstracts relevant to Indian Ocean for scientific sessions spread over 14 themes (https://iiosc2020.incois.gov.in/IIOSC2020/TechnicalSessions.jsp). Papers/abstracts highlighting societal relevance of the research work are encouraged....Read More

Location: Can be based in either Dakar-Senegal, Accra-Ghana, Nairobi- Kenya in or Cambridge-UK Full time Contract: 2 year fixed term (renewable)   BirdLife International is inviting applications for the position of Marine Programme Coordinator, who will lead the Marine Programme of the BirdLife Africa Secretariat in collaboration with the BirdLife International’s Marine Programme (BIMP). View...Read More

Providing early career support to promising young Low and Lower Middle Income Countries (LLMIC) researchers has been the mandate of the International Foundation for Science (IFS) for many years. IFS continues its commitment by providing tailored research capacity-enhancing support to promising early career scientists based around the provision of individual Basic Grants. To secure IFS...Read More

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) in partnership with the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Institute (KMFRI) and the Nairobi Convention through the GEF-funded project ‘Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the protection of the WIO from land-based sources and activities (WIOSAP)’ are organizing a regional training workshop on use of constructed wetlands...Read More

Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science has just published its latest issue, Vol 18, No 1 (2019) with the following articles: i) Maurice O. Obiero, Cyprian O. Odoli, Peter O. Odote, Raymond K. Ruwa, Maurice O. Omega – Shelf life assessment of hot smoked African catfish stored under different storage conditions from Lake Kenyatta,...Read More

WIOMSA Magazine: Breaking the glass ceiling: stories from women who are making a difference in coastal and marine resource management The WIOMSA Magazine has been a popular publication for many years. The Magazine is written with the general public as the main target group. The magazine is not a scientific publication but instead offers a...Read More

From a previous MASMA project on Sea Cucumbers: Over the last few years, the demand for sea cucumbers from Asian countries has literally exploded, obliging the manufacturers to produce more and more. In many producing countries, the number of sea cucumbers has diminished noticeably. Madagascar is not an exception to that rule. Helped by International...Read More

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS ZMT/IOI Winter School on “Ocean Governance for Sustainable Marine Ecosystems” from Feb 16-21, 2020 in Bremen/Germany. The interdisciplinary Winter School hosted by ZMT (Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research) and the IOI (International Ocean Institute) will train around 25 international scholars to develop solutions for a sustainable governance of the Ocean. Highlights...Read More

The South African Institute of International Affairs is developing a science-to-policy uptake guidance document for the Western Indian Marine Science Association through the project MeerWissen: African-German Partners for Ocean Knowledge. They wish to develop a practical, user-friendly document that draws on the experiences of researchers and the policy community in the region (and beyond). For this...Read More

WIOMSA in partnership with Macquarie University and Hexagon Geospatial are organizing a training workshop on the application of geospatial technology for sustainable and smart coastal cities. The training workshop is slated for Mombasa Kenya from the 2nd to the 7th December 2019. The workshop is organized with the financial support of the Government of Sweden...Read More

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and UN-Habitat are inviting proposals from senior consultants to prepare and develop a Status Report, Regional Action Plan and Roadmap on “The Blue Economy and Coastal Cities of the Western Indian Ocean Region”. Download the full call. The deadline for submission of the bid is the 27th...Read More

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO is offering a limited number of travel grants to support participation of early career scientists (age below 35 years) in conferences and symposia in 2019. Applications should be submitted to Mika Odido (m.odido@unesco.org) not later than 25 September 2019, and must include: Detailed CV, including: Biodata (personal details), employment...Read More

Call for applications a new for OCG Leadership Development Role The Joint WMO-IOC Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) Observations Coordination Group (OCG) (link) is creating a new sponsored membership role in its Executive Team. The aim of this new role is to support leadership development in ocean observing from countries that are in...Read More

DAAD is the initiativ of the German Academic Exchange service in the field of climate change and protection, read more at www.daad.de The Climate research Alumni and Postdocs in Africa (CLAP Africa) program brings high-potential African researchers in climate change research and protection together with African alumni of German funding initiatives. It seeks to catalyze...Read More

The abstract submission for the International Indian Ocean Science Conference (IIOSC) 2020 is now open! The conference will take place in Goa, India, on 16-20 March 2020. You can submit abstracts relevant to the Indian Ocean for scientific sessions spread over 14 different themes. You can read more about the different themes here: https://iiosc2020.incois.gov.in/IIOSC2020/TechnicalSessions.jsp). The...Read More

Over the past 18 months, the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) has implemented a project that seeks to support ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in Southern Africa. The objective of the project is to enhance the climate resilience of the Southern African region by strengthening the role of marine and coastal EbA in national climate...Read More

The Joint WMO-IOC Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) Observations Coordination Group (OCG) (link) is creating a new sponsored membership role in its Executive Team. The aim of this new role is to support leadership development in ocean observing from countries that are in the process of developing their ocean observing capacity, including Small...Read More

Call for applications: OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA) Training Course: Marine GIS Applications, 28 October – 1 November, 2019, in Mombasa, Kenya Course Overview Satellite data are particularly powerful when combined with data from other sources, such as in situ measurements or geographic or socio-economic information, whilst Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are a powerful tool for...Read More

We are delighted to present our Newsbrief for June/July 2019. In this edition we feature articles from the 11th WIOMSA Scientific Symposium that recently took place in Mauritius as well as articles on Dr Jacqueline Uku´s N.K. Panikkar Memorial Lecture, MARG-I outcomes, meetings and workshops that have taken place in the region, the release of...Read More

Ireland-Africa Fellows Programme 2020-2021- Applications Now Open The Ireland-Africa Fellows Programme will this year offer a select number of future leaders and influencers from Tanzania the opportunity to study for a prestigious Master’s degree in Ireland. If successful, you will live and study at some of the top education and learning centres in the world,...Read More

A new publication on Information access and knowledge exchange in co-managed coral reef fisheries is now out! This publication might be useful for researchers and managers interested in knowing how information is accessed and shared amongst marine and coastal resources users. The publication is one of the outputs from the collaboration with Dr. Michele Barnes ARC Centre of...Read More

The Nairobi Convention in collaboration with the IUCN-chaired Ocean Acidification international Reference User Group (OAiRUG) and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) are organizing the Indian Ocean Regional Ocean Acidification workshop that will be held in Zanzibar, Tanzania on 28th and 29th October, 2019. Applications to attend the workshop are invited from regional...Read More

This week a new publication on “Social–environmental drivers inform strategic management of coral reefs in the Anthropocene” by Darling et al, was published in the Nature Ecology and Evolution Journal. Over 80 marine scientists has worked together analysing 2500 reef systems across 44 countries.  From the press release by the Wildlife Conservation Society: A NEW...Read More

Every three years since 1981 the World Association of Copepodologists (WAC) holds an international conference called the International Conference on Copepoda or the “ICOC.” These have become the most important global gatherings for all researchers and students of copepods. Each conference gives participants the chance to meet fellow researchers, talk with students and experts, borrow...Read More

WIOMSA was established as a regional, non-profit, membership organization in 1993 and registered in Zanzibar, Tanzania in 1994 as a non-governmental organization. This means that WIOMSA this year celebrates 25 years. In honour of this WIOMSA has produced a 25-year anniversary video. In this video, you will be able to meet some of the persons...Read More

The First Issue of the Symposium Newsletter is out with several interesting articles and important announcements. The deadline for submission of articles for Issue 2 of the WIOMSA Symposium newsletter is 2nd July 2019. Send your articles and photos to secretary@wiomsa.org. Download the full issue. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click...Read More

We will be producing two issues of Symposium Newsletter, prior to and during the Symposium as we did in the previous symposia. The objective of the Newsletter is to provide an avenue for participants and interested parties to communicate information to delegates on news items, book launches, bursaries, courses, student adverts, invitations to special sessions,...Read More

Do you have the qualifications, skills and expertise to work for a dynamic organization leading grass-roots marine resource conservation and management efforts in Tanzania? Are you interested in a holistic approach to sustainable marine resource use that recognizes the linkages between people and their environment? Do you have experience in coordinating and managing organizational activities...Read More

IUCN  Tanzania is seeking for  motivated Interns to support the implementation of the Forest component of the PLUS and RESUPPLY Projects. #4099 – Intern – Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Duty Station: Tanzania Project Office, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania Employment terms: Locally recruited position Application deadline: 25 June 2019 To see the...Read More

World Ocean’s day is here! This week we have been sharing some short articles from current grantees under WIOMSA’s MASMA and MARG programmes and now its time for the last one.  The challenge of the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources in communities of greater dependence on natural resources – Case of Bons Sinais Estuary (Mozambique). ...Read More

World Ocean’s day is here! This week we have been sharing some short articles from current grantees under WIOMSA’s MASMA and MARG programmes and today we will share with you two last articles.  Regional efforts at promotion and conservation and restoration of coastal ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean.   By James Mwaluma   Coastal communities in...Read More

Tomorrow is World Ocean’s day! This week we will share some short articles from current grantees under WIOMSA’s MASMA and MARG programmes.  Understanding sediments accumulations and the importance of regional collaboration in tackling scientific needs.   By Gilbert Owato  The Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region has very rich and diverse marine resources becoming the second Biodiversity...Read More

World Ocean’s day is fast approaching! This week we will share some short articles from current grantees under WIOMSA’s MASMA and MARG programmes.  Community initiative to restore mangroves of Bay of Assassins: experience from the south-west of Madagascar By Cicelin RAKOTOMAHAZO – PhD   Walking down to this amazing place just at the shore of the...Read More

Today we are proud to announce the launch of a new WIOMSA Video: Women in Marine Science!  In this video you will have the opportunity to listen to some of the many inspiring women in the WIOMSA community and hear their thoughts on being a Woman in Marine Science. Watch the video here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4j7IaCX1SE  ...Read More

World Ocean’s day is fast approaching! This week we will share some short articles from current grantees under WIOMSA’s MASMA and MARG programmes.  Secret garden under the sea, what are we doing to conserve them? Article by: Blandina Lugendo Seagrasses, the flowering plants of the sea. Like land (terrestrial) plants, seagrasses are among key components...Read More

World Ocean’s day is fast approaching! This week we will share some short articles from current grantees under WIOMSA’s MASMA and MARG programmes.  Threats of microplastics pollution to the marine ecosystem of Tanzanian coastal waters Bahati Sosthenes Mayoma (1)*, Farhan R. Khan (2), Salum Hemed (1), Moses Joel Shimba (1)  Plastic pollution is one of...Read More

Registrations for the upcoming 11th WIOMSA Scientific Symposium is now open. Registration fees; 150 USD for paid WIOMSA members. 75 USD for students (does not include Post Docs) 200 USD for non WIOMSA members. The registration fee includes; Lunch on 1st-5th July 2019 Opening and closing ceremony evening events Airport transfers on 29th June ,  30th June,...Read More

The WIOMSA Scientific Symposium photo competition is here again! The theme of this year’s photo competition is “People, Coasts and Oceans: Opportunities for a changing future” They say a picture is worth a thousand words- share your story through the lens of your camera! Entries can be on any topic of your choice related to coastal...Read More

A publication ‘Local Management of Marine Resources: A Guide for Communities in Kenya and Mainland Tanzania is out. This publication available in both English and Kiswahili, has been published and is designed to provide guidance to community members and resource users who wish to manage their own natural resources by developing a strategy for local...Read More

Quirimbas National Park, northern Mozambique, photo by Romy Chevallier Uniting around a global call to see oceans managed more sustainably, more than 500 people will gather in Maputo this week (23-24 May 2019) to attend an international oceans conference hosted by the Government of Mozambique. Envisaged to become a biennial event, this international dialogue will...Read More

The deadline for submitting applications for the position of Executive Secretary has been extended 17 May 2019. For more details about the position, please download the detailed TORs. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Read More

The Global Network on Environment and Oil and Gas is pleased to invite you to register for the upcoming Executive Webinar on ‘Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for Upstream Oil and Gas Operations’. This webinar will take place on 30 April 2019 from 13:00-14:30 hrs (Geneva Time). Also, you are kindly requested to please share this...Read More

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) is inviting applications for the position of Executive Secretary. For the position, the Association is looking for an individual with experience in project/programme management, management of a team; including experts and support staff. The Executive Secretary should be familiar with the coordination of volunteer networks and working...Read More

The Deep Sea Fishing Authority (DSFA) is calling for expressions of interest for tuna-related research studies, under SWIOFish project. The studies are “Research on oceanographic factors influencing tuna and tuna-like species in the Tanzanian waters” and “Undertaking an analysis if the stock structure and genetics connectivity of tuna and tuna-like species in the Tanzanian waters“, The...Read More

Read the latest WIOMSA Newsbrief, which rounds up new projects, news, and events. Some of the highlights of the Newsbrief include the launch of the WiMS website, monitoring ocean acidification in the WIO region and the launch of Miji Bora Project. We also feature the historic maiden voyage of the FlipFlopi, a profile of Refiloe Mofokeng’s work on plastics, and Rima Beesoo’s...Read More

The Seychelles president has gone below the surface of the Indian Ocean to call for better protection for the world’s seas. Danny Faure said that a healthy ocean was “crucial for the survival of humanity” in a broadcast made 124m (406ft) below sea level. He had joined a British-led expedition exploring the ocean’s depths. Last...Read More

The Nairobi Convention Secretariat are delighted to share with you the first issue of the Nairobi Convention Newsletter of 2019, which includes updates on what countries in the Western Indian Ocean region are doing to protect, manage, and develop their coastal and marine environment through various projects executed by the Convention. You can access it...Read More

The 11th WIOMSA Symposium brings together inspiring keynote presentations covering interesting topical issues such as fishery decline and human nutrition; natural capital accounting, women’s role in fisheries and blue economy. Click on https://symposium.wiomsa.org/keynote-speakers/ to read their short biographies and abstracts. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens...Read More

Macquarie University (MQU) and Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) https://www.wiomsa.org partnership, with support from Macquarie University DVC is currently seeking a suitably qualified Postdoctoral Research Fellow. This position is tailored towards an enterprising Postdoctoral Researcher interested in engaging in interdisciplinary research. Download the full announcement. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in...Read More

The University of Kwa Zulu Natal (UKZN) and the Oceanographic Research institute (ORI) in Durban are inviting applications for a PhD studentship to investigate the physiological and transcriptional basis of resilience of corals to stress.  The student will be based at the Oceanographic Research Institute at uShaka Marine World in Durban, South Africa and registered...Read More

Mwambao Coastal Community Network (Mwambao) is an independent not for profit organisation registered in both mainland Tanzania and in Zanzibar. Mwambao is seeking to employ a Marine Co-management Field Officer to lead the field-based implementation of a project that seeks to improve marine resource co-management in Unguja. This project is being delivered in partnership with...Read More

Coral reef managers are increasingly turning to restoration as a strategy to combat reef degradation and promote reef recovery. As a result, different techniques are being used across the globe, making it difficult to choose the right approach for your location’s specific needs and capabilities. The Reef Resilience Network Restoration Mentored Online Course is designed...Read More

The Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS), a scientific organisational entity of Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, invites applications for a Post Doctoral (m/f/d), starting as soon as possible, in the project CoastalCS@GERICS. This project is funded under the HZG I2B call. The position is limited to 36 months. Read the full post doctoral...Read More

Corales de Paz is pleased to invite applications for its Leaders in Coral Reef Restoration Training Workshop, to be held at the Reef Rescuers Centre for Ocean Restoration Awareness & Learning (CORAL) in Praslin Island (Seychelles) between 1 and 10 June 2019. The purpose of the training is to provide hands-on, in-water experience on what...Read More

Today, on International Women’s day, the Network of Women in Marine Science are proud to announce the launch of their brand-new website wims.wiomsa.org ! We hope you will like the website as much as we do! Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Read More

A Scientific Study titled Global baselines and benchmarks for fish biomass: comparing remote reefs and fisheries closures, (Tim McClanahan et al) has just been published in the Marine Ecology Progress Series (MEPS), a leading journal in the field covering all aspects of marine ecology, fundamental and applied. Below is an excerpt from the introduction. Introduction Measurable...Read More

The Ninth Conference of Parties to the Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment for the WIO region (Nairobi Convention) held in Mombasa, Kenya in August 2018, requested the Secretariat, in collaboration and cooperation WIOMSA and other partners, to establish a marine litter regional technical working group in the...Read More

A Guide to the sea slugs of the Maputaland Coast, co-authored by  Jenny Strömvoll and Georgina Jones is soon to be published in the coming days. The book, which is supported by WIOMSA, is a guide to the sea slugs found along the Maputaland Coast, that runs from St. Lucia in the south to Maputo in the...Read More

The Mwalimu Nyerere Professorial Chair on Environment and Climate Change in collaboration with the Institute of Resource Assessment (IRA), Center for Climate Change Studies (CCCS) of the University of Dar es Salaam and the Africa Climate Change Adaptation Initiative (ACCAI) network is delighted to announce an International Conference which will take place at the University of...Read More

The Government of United Republic of Tanzania has received a Credit from the International Development Association (IDA) towards the cost of South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Governance and   Shared Growth program – SWIOFish and intends to apply part of the proceeds for payments under the contract for Consultancy service for Development of a Tuna Management...Read More

The Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) is hosting a workshop on the software package Primer and PERMANOVA+.  PRIMER has become the global standard in software tools for nonparametric multivariate analysis while PERMANOVA+ takes dissimilarity-based analyses to a whole new level: to multi-factorial designs, discriminant analysis, model-selection, and beyond. This Advanced PRIMER 7 / PERMANOVA+ workshop is one week...Read More

Eight scientists and conservationists from around the world have been named the 2019 recipients of the Pew fellowship in marine conservation. These individuals and their projects were selected for their significant promise in protecting a diverse group of marine species and habitats. One of these scientists who was selected is from the Western Indian Ocean...Read More

What is beachcombing? Anyone who spends time beside the sea knows there’s a wealth of ‘treasure’ to be found, be it natural or manufactured, living or washed up. Beachcombing in South Africa is a friendly guide to the seashore’s rich pickings. Short chapters such as Floaters and drifters, Sea-beans, Sponges, Eggs and egg cases, and...Read More

ERACOMA, in collaboration with the South Eastern Kenya University, Machakos University, the University of Nairobi, Kenya Wildlife Services, Cambridge University (UK) and University of Algarve (Portugal) are organizing a Regional Training Workshop on “Quantification and Valuation of Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services”, that will be held in Mombasa, Kenya from 27th May 2019 to 1st...Read More

Today was to have been the deadline for abstract submission for WIOMSA’s 11th Scientific Symposium. However, due to an overwhelming amount of requests for additional time to prepare abstracts, the deadline has been extended to the 15th of February. To submit your abstract follow these steps: Go to http://abstract.wiomsa.org  > User home > author > new...Read More

The Equator Prize 2019 will be awarded to outstanding community and indigenous initiatives that are advancing nature-based solutions for local sustainable development. Each winning group will receive USD 10,000 and will be invited to participate in a series of policy dialogues and special events during the United Nations General Assembly and the Secretary-General’s Climate Summit...Read More

During the Eleventh WIOMSA Scientific Symposium that will be held in Mauritius from 1st to 6th July 2019, one of the dates has been set aside for special sessions. This will be on the 5th of July. These sessions are convened by projects / programmes and organisations to discuss topical issues that are of global and regional...Read More

The Danielle de St Jorre Scholarship is currently open for application for the 2019 training programme. This scholarship helps fund the participation of one woman from a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) in the International Ocean Institute’s (IOI) two-month interdisciplinary course on Ocean Governance: Policy, Law and Management. Since 2000 the IOI has awarded an...Read More

WIOMSA, through its Cities and Coasts project, is announcing calls for research proposals to conduct research and to support the organization of training courses/workshops.The deadline for submission of proposals is 15 March 2019. Applications should be completed and support documents uploaded at http://proposals.wiomsa.org/cities-coasts-overview/cities-coasts-proposals/. Questions for clarification on these calls, be sent by email to secretary@wiomsa.org....Read More

A lack of accurate maps is a big problem in parts of Africa: for disaster relief agencies, local authorities and people looking for safe places to build homes. Could cheap survey drones and local volunteers help plug the gaps? Khadija Abdulla Ali is an unlikely drone pilot in the Tanzanian archipelago of Zanzibar. Read the...Read More

The planet’s oceans are warming a lot quicker than estimated, highlighting the perils of unchecked climate change, according to a new study published in Science. Climate change from human activities mainly results from the energy imbalance in Earth’s climate system caused by rising concentrations of heat-trapping gases. About 93% of the energy imbalance accumulates in...Read More

The Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, in collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Norway and EAF-Nansen Program of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); as well as the Department of Environmental Affairs: Oceans & Coasts, South Africa and Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute are...Read More

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development will be from 2021 to 2030 , with the theme The Ocean We Need for the Future We Want. The Decade will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a new foundation, across the science-policy interface, to strengthen the management of our oceans and coasts for...Read More

The deadline for applying for the position of the WIOMSA Executive Secretary has been extended to 15 January 2019. Download the original announcement. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Read More

Abstracts for the Eleventh WIOMSA Scientific Symposium can now be submitted online at http://abstract.wiomsa.org/index.php/wiomsa/11WSS. Please follow the online submission instructions as described in this note. Abstracts must be submitted no later than 31st January 2019. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Read More

WIOMSA through the MASMA programme, is pleased to announce two calls: i) Research proposals ii) Proposals to support organisation of training courses/workshops and Publications of books/manuals. Please be note that the format for preparing proposals and some of the criteria have been changed so please read the instructions carefully and prepare your proposals accordingly. Proposals...Read More

The Newly elected Chairperson of the  Network of Women in Marine Science (WiMS) was last weekend featured in one of the top Seychelles local daily newspapers, the  NATION. Ms Veronica  Bristol, was elected to this post alongside other newly elected officials during a meeting held in Nairobi between the 11th and 12th of December. The interim leadership will lead...Read More

The latest issue of the Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science (WIOJMS) is now out. The articles in the latest issue of the WIO Journal of Marine Science have Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), which is a common feature in most of the Journals. DOIs are attached to journal articles, datasets, video, audio, theses, dissertations, and...Read More

The Rising from the Depths Network are happy to announce that our second call for funding applications is now live. We are accepting applications for small (up to £5,000), medium (£5,000 to £30,000) and large (£30,000 to £50,000) grants. The call is open from now until the 15 February 2019 at 5pm UK time, applications...Read More

WIOMSA seeks applications from suitably qualified and experienced individuals for the position of Executive Secretary. The Executive Secretary is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Association, and coordinates and plans the Association’s strategic activities and programming to ensure that human, financial and technical resources are in place to carry out the Association’s mandate. The...Read More

The International Ocean Institute’s flagship interdisciplinary training programme has been conducted at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia each summer since being initiated by Elisabeth Mann Borgese in 1981. This two-month programme on Ocean Governance: Policy, Law and Management emphasises the importance of viewing the ocean as a system with varied users and multiple, often...Read More

Opening Date: Friday, 2 November, 2018 Closing Date: Saturday, 31 August, 2019 The Belmont Forum, in collaboration with Future Earth and JPI Oceans, is launching a call for proposals on “Transdisciplinary Research for Ocean Sustainability”. The call is aiming at bringing together researchers and other expertise across the globe to innovate solutions to accelerate sustainable...Read More