A South African scientist and conservationists in Tanzania are working to restore coral reefs by cultivating and transplanting corals onto artificial structures.
Coral reefs in the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar host high biodiversity and support the livelihoods of local communities through tourism and subsistence fishing but very strong El-Niño events in 1998, 2007 and 2016 resulted in massive coral bleaching.
Camilla Floros, who has a doctorate in marine biology and is marine programme manager for NGO Wild Impact, explains that she and her team have been working to promote marine conservation around Mnemba Island in Tanzania where intense human pressure on Mnemba House Reef has reduced coral cover to about 10 percent.
“The anticipated impact if this decline if not reversed is the loss of habitat for marine species, loss of reef protection against the effects of climate change, threat to the value of the area for tourism and risk to the food security of the coastal communities,” she says, adding that in 2021, reef restoration efforts were initiated through the creation of a coral nursery to grow colonies for transplanting onto the degraded reefs to increase coral cover and promote ecosystem recovery.
Starting with just five nursery tables with 600 coral fragments, by 2023 the team has 42 tables holding nearly 6000 coral fragments, with a total of 7 100 coral colonies transplanted onto the degraded Mnemba House Reef.
Floros explains that the nursery was very successful, but there was also a need to reduce human pressure on this reef, and through extensive engagement with Tanzania’s Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries, a special zone was created to protect the Mnemba House Reef.
“In 2023, six large artificial structures were created and deployed in consultation with the local communities to create additional tourism opportunities for boat operators, while simultaneously increasing habitat for marine life,” she says, “A total of 1500 coral colonies from the nursery were transplanted onto the artificial structures to mimic the surrounding natural reefs.”
Floros explains that the next step is a $787,721 3-year project funded by CORDAP, the Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform, involving reef restoration, marine conservation and a socio-economic element.
“The reef restoration work aims to expand the coral nursery and create 18 additional artificial structures at critical sites around the island,” she says, “The conservation awareness component will be placing what we call Echo stewards in 14 schools in our key partner communities on northern Unguja to deliver dedicated marine conservation curricula to scholars and the socio-economic component will be engaging with key stakeholders in government and the communities to understand their perceptions of marine conservation.”
Floros explains the team will also be looking for coral species that show signs of resistance and resilience to coral bleaching to grow in the coral nursery.
“The aim will be to transplant these corals species onto the artificial and natural reefs to help build reefs for the future,” she says.
From South Africa To Mozambique To Tanzania
Floros grew up in a small town in rural South Africa and was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time in Mozambique, primarily around the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago.
“The beauty and abundant marine life, particularly on the coral reefs in the Archipelago captivated me from an early age,” she says, “I would spend hours exploring the reefs observing the fish, corals and other reef critters, but over the years, I also saw the impact of over-harvesting and destructive fishing practices on these fragile ecosystems.”
Floros explains that these experiences shaped her passion and ambition to become a marine biologist and focus on coral reef conservation.
“I always knew I wanted to work on coral reefs in Western Indian Ocean and I am fortunate to be able to do that through the Wild Impact marine program,” she says.
Floros explains that scientists from the Global South have firsthand experience with the specific challenges and conditions in their regions and this local expertise is vital for developing solutions that are practical, effective, and culturally appropriate.
“Our conservation model is driven by rangers who have been recruited from the local communities,” she says, “We feel that this is so important because they are our marine champions and ambassadors spreading the word about marine conservation.”
Saving Corals In The Seychelles
Further north in the Indian Ocean, Camilla Labonte, a Masters by Research student in marine ecology at Lancaster University is supporting a project focused on reef fish that are commercially valuable for the small-scale fisheries in Seychelles.
“My project investigates the broader implications of island restoration techniques on micronutrient concentrations in coral reef-associated fishes in Seychelles,” she says.
Labonte explains that previous studies (including those by her supervisors, Nicholas Graham and Casey Benkwitt) found that bringing back seabird populations to Indian Ocean islands had a positive effect on fish and coral reefs because the nutrients from bird waste (guano) entered the food chain.
“However, a gap remains in quantifying the quality of reef fish in terms of micronutrient concentration, indicating a need for further investigation,” she says, “We are interested in investigating whether island restoration actions , especially rat eradication helps in bolstering the nutrients available for reef fish adjacent rat-free islands given that micronutrients have several human health benefits.”
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