Nairobi Convention Marine and Coastal News Round-up (19 February 2021)

Welcome, Nairobi Convention Member States, partners, and friends, to this issue of the Weekly News Round-up!

This week, we have the 2021 Nairobi Convention Western Indian Ocean Regional Science to Policy Dialogue registration link, why we can’t afford to lose coral reefs and UNEA-5, evaluation of seagrass and seaweed species diversity and human activities endangering their existence at Indian Ocean shore, saving seagrass in Mozambique, and more!

Do you have any events, research, or scientific publications on the Western Indian Ocean that you would like to be included in the round-up? Write to [email protected]!

Can coral reef restoration save one of the most vulnerable ecosystems to climate change?

Coral reefs are some of the most ecologically and economically valuable ecosystems on our planet. Covering less than 0.1 per cent of the world’s ocean, they support over 25 per cent of marine biodiversity and serve at least a billion people. However, they are also on the front-line of the climate crisis due to their sensitivity to warming seas. The Fifth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) also puts ecosystem restoration in the spotlight.

Register for the Nairobi Convention 2021 Western Indian Ocean Regional Science to Policy Dialogue

The Nairobi Convention, in collaboration with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), is convening the 2021 Western Indian Ocean (WIO) Regional Science to Policy Dialogue. The theme of the meeting will be: ‘Transitioning to a Sustainable Blue Economy in the WIO region: Addressing the challenges and harnessing opportunities’ It will be a virtual Microsoft Teams meeting held over three days from 23 – 25 March 2021 from 9:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m East Africa Time (EAT) every day. Kindly confirm your participation in the meeting by registering through the link below, before 19 March 2021.

Productivity in the East African Coastal Current under Climate Change

This study applies a regional model to understand inter-annual spatial relationships between ocean circulation and SST off Northern Tanzania and on the Northern Kenya Bank. The results indicate slight differences in variations off the Northern Tanzanian shelf region and the Northern Kenya Bank. Such small variations might have local impacts on the human population through influencing primary productivity and fisheries.

Saving Mozambique’s seagrass

Experts warn that destructive shellfish harvesting—along with the flooding and sedimentation from rivers emptying into the bay—are destroying seagrass beds at a rapid rate. Research indicates that 86 per cent of seagrass meadows have been lost in the northwest of Maputo Bay alone—putting local culture, jobs and food security at risk.

Indian Ocean coral bleaching

Sea surface temperatures in the central Mozambique channel have cooled sharply over the last two weeks though warmer than average SST still prevails across most of the WIO basin. La Niña conditions persist and are likely to continue to the second quarter of 2021, creating unseasonal overcast conditions at least off Kenya/Tanzania.

Save the Date Marine Research Training Manual Launch

SAVE THE DATE: Launch of Marine Research Training Manual

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.

Fishers shun easy money to save turtles in Watamu

To turn the tide in Watamu, residents, in partnership with an NGO, have taken up a community initiative to protect and conserve turtles and the habitat.
A few individuals came together to start an organisation, Local Ocean Conservation (LOC), with the aim of saving and rehabilitating turtles. LOC set up a centre, which also serves as a turtle clinic, where turtles rescued are treated to recovery before they are rehabilitated back to the ocean. The clinic can hold 11 patients and can also host turtles diagnosed with cancer. As an incentive to fishers, it pays them Sh2,000 for every turtle recovery they call in.
At least 150 turtles are rescued monthly. LOC is able to track the turtles using special tags, which are pinned on them when they are initially rescued. The fishers have also ventured into using safe fishing methods, which ensure turtles are not among their daily catch.

Evaluation of Seagrass and Seaweed Species Diversity, Abundance, and Human Activities Endangering their Existence at Indian Ocean Shore at Kigamboni in Dar es Salaam City, Coastal Zone of Tanzania

This study aimed to determine the abundance, diversity of seagrasses and seaweeds and to identify human activities undertaken in the study area. The identified human activities were fishing and swimming. Of those activities, bait collection (33.89%) was the most dominant while swimming had 33.33%, fishing had 16.67% and marine gravel had 11.11%. Kigamboni ocean shore comprises of high species diversity of seagrass and seaweed species, facing severe damage from human disturbances. This study recommends for sustainable management of the ocean shore through education, protection strategy to ensure the survival of the existing seagrasses and seaweed species.

Mollusc shell fisheries in coastal Kenya: Local ecological knowledge reveals overfishing

There is limited documentation on the status and dynamics of fished marine shelled mollusc species in many countries. Some of the challenges are due to obscure documentation of species, extensive unregulated and unrecorded fishing and unawareness of drivers behind declining stocks. Findings from this article suggests that local ecological knowledge is useful to understand historic changes in fisheries lacking long-term scientific data.

Register for the 2021 Nairobi Convention and WIOMSA Science to Policy Dialogue

Don’t miss out on the 2021 Science to Policy Dialogue convened by the Nairobi Convention in collaboration with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA)

Register now!

Author: A.P.

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