Welcome, Nairobi Convention Member States, partners, and friends, to this installment of the Weekly News Round-up! Please keep reading to find out what’s new in efforts to protect, conserve and develop the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region.
We look forward to continuing our work with you to create a prosperous WIO region with healthy rivers, coasts, and oceans.
Upcoming Events:
The Nairobi Convention, in executing the SAPPHIRE project, is organizing a Regional Ocean Governance workshop for the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region from 04 – 05 September 2019.
The Nairobi Convention, Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and Birdlife International are organizing a meeting of the Consortium for the Conservation of the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean region (WIO-C) to be held on 06 September 2019 in Seychelles.
The Nairobi Convention in executing the WIOSAP project, is organizing a workshop for managers and policy-makers on Mainstreaming of Environmental Flows into Integrated Water Resources Management to be held on 18 – 20 September 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.
News:
The Madagascar Farmers Trying to Save Sea Cucumbers
Sea cucumbers are a delicacy, fetching a high price for their purported health benefits and in Tampolove, south-west Madagascar, they have provided a major boost to the local economy and environment. The village is home to the country’s first locally owned sea-cucumber farm, which has been transforming the lives of people who have typically earned no more than a dollar a day, while at the same time helping to alleviate the pressure on marine species. Sea cucumbers belong to the echinoderm family, along with starfish and urchins, and come in all shapes and sizes….read more
A New Hope for Coral Reefs: Largest-Ever Study of Coral Communities Unlocks Global Solution to Save Reefs
The largest study ever conducted of its kind has identified where and how to save coral reef communities in the Indo-Pacific, according to an international group of scientists from Wildlife Conservation Society and other conservation NGOs, government agencies, and universities. The study outlines three viable strategies that can be quickly enacted to help save coral reefs that are threatened by climate change and human impacts. Published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, the study involved the efforts of more than 80 authors who surveyed coral abundance on more than 2,500 reefs across 44 countries in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The findings revealed that the majority of reefs had functioning coral communities with a living cover of architecturally complex species that give reefs their distinctive structure….read more and click here for the full-length paper.
Estimating Connectivity Through Coral Dispersal in the Western Indian Ocean
Given that the health of coral reefs have declined due to a combination of global and local stressors, managing this ecosystem and associated resources is crucial. The establishment of marine protected areas is one widely used conservation instrument. This study assesses the potential connectivity of coral reefs within the Western Indian Ocean region using a biophysical model. The results show that coral reefs in the Western Indian Ocean form a relatively well connected network, with reefs at Mafia‐Latham Island (Tanzania), Angoche‐Nacala and Pemba‐Mucufi (Mozambique), Anjouan and Ngazidja (Comoros), and Glorieuses (France) being the most significant for multigenerational connectivity. This indicates the imperative need to include connectivity information when considering setting up marine protected areas……read more
Population Genetic Structure and Connectivity Of The Seagrass in The Western Indian Ocean is Influenced by Predominant Ocean Currents
This study is the first large‐scale genetic population study of a widespread climax species of seagrass, Thalassia hemprichii, in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). Seagrass shoots were sampled in Kenya, Tanzania (mainland and Zanzibar), Mozambique, and Madagascar. The research identifies four genetically differentiated groups: (a) samples from the Zanzibar channel; (b) Mozambique; (c) Madagascar; and (d) the east coast of Zanzibar and Kenya. Significant pairwise population genetic differentiation was found among many sites. Isolation by distance was detected for the estimated magnitude of divergence, but the three-predominant ocean current systems (i.e., East African Coastal Current, North East Madagascar Current, and the South Equatorial Current) also determine genetic connectivity and genetic structure……..read more
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