“More than a job, a way of life,” Christopher Mahoune chief warden at Cousin Island Special Reserve, Seychelles, takes us along a day at the Reserve, focused on conserving both land and sea. Previously a coconut plantation, Cousin Island reserve is now a unique home to endemic birds, seabirds, geckos, turtles, lizards, and other biodiversity....Read More
A trailblazer for women in Marine Protected Area management, Vanessa Muianga recently secured her place as the first female Mozambican to receive Level 2 WIO-COMPAS accreditation. As the Marine Ecosystem Manager at Maputo National Park, she oversees everything from administration and logistics to marine conservation programs. From her early days at the Natural History Museum...Read More
By Kesia Van Der Merwe For Maria da Graça, diving was never just a recreational pursuit — it became a way of life. Today, she is a highly respected Mozambican dive instructor and ocean advocate working between the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies (BCSS) and Kisawa Sanctuary on Benguerra Island. Her story is shaped by...Read More
Across the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), lush meadows of green seagrass stretch along coastlines, creating a critical underwater habitat. This vibrant ecosystem teems with marine life from schools of shimmering juvenile fish swimming across the islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago, to green sea turtles feeding on seagrass blades in Seychelles, to families of dugongs gently...Read More
Salim Abdalla Salim is a marine conservationist from Zanzibar and serves as the Conservation and Education Coordinator at Chumbe Island Coral Park (CHICOP). He leads various conservation initiatives, environmental education programs, research coordination, and community outreach efforts in one of the world’s most successful Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Salim is passionate about engaging youth and...Read More
By Waithira Kunene Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in data collection with fishers along Kenya’s Shimoni-Vanga and Msambweni seascapes — two marine-rich zones with communities whose lives are deeply intertwined with the ocean. Our mission was to understand how local fishers perceive their ocean, its resources, and how it’s managed through Beach Management...Read More
Farhiya Elmy is an award-winning marine scientist and the Founder and CEO of SeaBlue Innovators Co. Ltd., a Tanzanian blue economy startup pioneering regenerative aquaculture and seaweed-based solutions for healthy communities and resilient oceans. Deeply passionate about marine conservation, Farhiya has led co- management initiatives, marine spatial planning, and community-based projects that restore ocean ecosystems and empower...Read More
By Damaris Kinyua Growing up on the slopes of Mt. Kenya, the ocean was always something I admired from a distance. I didn’t fully understand it, but I knew it was powerful, mysterious, and vital to life along the coast. Years later, that distant admiration grew into a deep, personal commitment to ocean conservation. Today,...Read More
We are thrilled to announce that the 13th WIOMSA Scientific Symposium will take place from 28 September to 3 October 2025 in the vibrant coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya. This year’s theme, “One Ocean, One Future: Connecting People, Policy, and Science for a Thriving Western Indian Ocean,” reflects our bold commitment to working together across...Read More
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