CORDIO East Africa

02/10/2026

🌊 We’re heading to UNEP-Nairobi Convention COP12!

We are pleased to join our partners and colleagues from across the Western Indian Ocean at the 12th Conference of the Parties ( ) to the Nairobi Convention, taking place 6–9 October in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This year’s COP also marks 40 years of regional cooperation under the Nairobi Convention.

The CORDIO East Africa team will be contributing to conversations across science, policy and regional ocean governance:

🔹 Our Managing Director Joan Momanyi will join Our Blue Future’s 2nd Annual General Meeting and engage with partners on strengthening multi-stakeholder action for ocean governance across the Western Indian Ocean.

🪸 Our Senior Scientist Karin Moejes will highlight Western Indian Ocean findings from the 2025 Status of Coral Reefs of the World Report, alongside key policy recommendations for coral reef conservation and management in the region.

🔹 Our Scientist Geoffrey Otieno will contribute to discussions on advancing marine from policy commitments to action, alongside partners from the WIO-C OECM Working Group. G will also join discussions led by IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa on implementation of the Agreement in the Western Indian Ocean, including its links with maritime security, fishing enforcement and regional science.

🤝 We look forward to connecting with our partners from across the region, sharing evidence and strengthening the connections between science, policy and action for the Western Indian Ocean.

29/09/2026

🌊 Report from the Field: Monitoring Comoros’ Reefs 🪸

Over the last two weeks, CORDIO East Africa Scientist Diana Jepkoech Karan joined our WIO Islands Lead Joshua Rambahiniarison, and Renforcement de la Protection des Océans aux Comores scientific team Nadjim Ahmed Mohamed and Nadjim Ali Boina to conduct surveys across Mitsamiouli-Ndroude National Park.

🪸 The surveys found many reefs under pressure, with high levels of hard coral mortality — a concerning observation as we approach the next coral bleaching season. These findings reinforce the importance of continued monitoring and preparedness to detect and respond to further bleaching impacts.

🦈 There were encouraging observations too. Grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos), recorded during our previous surveys in 2023, were once again observed in the Park. Moustadrane Ben, an MSc student at the University of Comoros, also joined the team to deploy Baited Remote Underwater Visual Systems (BRUVS) to survey the park's deeper reefs.

We made a particularly exciting observation, sighting the critically endangered bowmouth guitarfish (Rhina ancylostoma)!

🔬 Supported by the WIOMSA - Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association Hifadhi Blu Programme and the Paul Angell Foundation, the surveys contribute to continued ecological monitoring of Mitsamiouli-Ndroude National Park, generating evidence to inform its management, protection and conservation planning.

A big thank you to the Mitsamiouli-Ndroude National Park team for their collaboration and logistical support throughout the surveys. 🙌

24/09/2026

📢 CALL FOR CONSULTANTS: DASHBOARD AND DATABASE DEVELOPMENT

CORDIO East Africa is seeking a qualified software development consultant or firm to build the CORDIO Seascape DB, a production-ready relational database and stakeholder-facing dashboard that will safely store and operationalise more than two decades of CORDIO’s research and conservation data.

📅 Application Deadline: October 7, 2026
🔗Full Terms of Reference: https://cordioea.net/careers/

Please share with relevant software development, database, and data management professionals in your network.

22/09/2026

🌊Advancing Kenya’s Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Agenda 🌱

The Joint WIO-C Kenya Coordination Workshop on , Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures ( ), and C*D Marine and Coastal Biodiversity is underway in Mombasa, bringing together mandated government institutions, county governments, community representatives, research organisations and conservation partners to advance a coordinated national approach to Kenya’s marine and coastal biodiversity agenda.

Organised by the WIO-C OECM Working Group – Kenya Chapter and organising member organisations of the Western Indian Ocean Consortium for Conservation of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems (WIO-C), the workshop is bringing policy, science, community perspectives and conservation practice together around a shared agenda.

In his opening remarks, CORDIO East Africa Director David Obura emphasized the importance of approaching the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets in their totality and ensuring that community voices and perspectives are central to the decisions that shape conservation action.

The discussions are focused on:
📌 Strengthening Kenya’s marine and coastal priorities ahead of C*D COP17
📌 Building a shared understanding of Target 3, OECMs and Kenya’s national OECM identification and reporting process
📌 Developing a coordinated roadmap for advancing marine and coastal contributions to Kenya’s 30x30 commitments

The workshop will also see the official launch of the WCS-led Kenya Marine 30x30 Project and a stocktake of ongoing and planned marine area-based conservation initiatives — helping connect existing efforts and identify opportunities for greater collaboration.

🌍 Together, these efforts are about moving from ambition to coordinated action and ensuring that Kenya’s progress towards 30x30 is effective, inclusive and grounded in national priorities and community realities.

WWF-Kenya, IUCN ESARO, Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) , Wildlife Conservation Society, Flora & Fauna, Coastal and Marine Resource Development (COMRED), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, The Nature Conservancy in Africa, Blue Ventures, Kenya Fisheries Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) OFFICIAL, National Environment Management Authority, UN Environment Programme, COMMUNITY ACTION FOR NATURE CONSERVATION CANCO, Natural Justice

16/09/2026

🪸 The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN)’s global analysis of coral reef condition reveals a cautiously hopeful picture for the Western Indian Ocean: the region is one of only two showing net recovery relative to its historical baseline. However, the sharp decline in coral cover between 2023 and 2024 wiped out much of the recovery made over the past two decades, underscoring the growing impact of increasingly frequent marine heatwaves.

🔎 A closer look also reveals a fundamental limitation in the available evidence: over 90% of WIO sites in the dataset had only been monitored for a single year.

There simply isn't the financing for the long-term, consistent and broad monitoring data necessary to build a full picture of how reefs across the region are actually coping.

🌊 Tens of millions of people across the Western Indian Ocean depend on healthy reefs for food security and their daily livelihoods. Without sustained, region-wide monitoring, it is difficult to track how reefs are responding to the climate crisis and to provide governments and communities with the evidence they need to plan, adapt and protect what remains.

The findings are a call to action for governments, funding bodies and coastal economies to invest in consistent, long-term reef monitoring in a region already facing the compounding pressures of rising sea temperatures, coastal development and overfishing, and where millions of people have few alternatives to fall back on.

The new Nature Portfolio Africa article, with contributions from CORDIO's Karin Moejes, takes a closer look at what these findings mean for African reefs and why increasingly frequent heatwaves are making recovery more difficult.

📖 https://www.nature.com/articles/d44148-026-00279-6

📊 Full GCRMN Status of Coral Reefs Report: https://gcrmn.net/2025-report/

Reefs are getting less time to recover from bleaching as ocean temperatures rise, while scientists struggle with patchy long-term data.

28/08/2026

🦈 Building a Stronger Evidence Base for Shark and Ray Conservation in Comoros 🌊

Effective shark and ray conservation depends on knowing what species are being caught, where, in what quantities, and under what fishing pressure. Strengthening that evidence base is now underway across Comoros.

Throughout August, CORDIO's Joshua Rambahiniarison led a series of shark and ray identification and catch monitoring training sessions across the three islands of Comoros, reaching a total of 32 participants.

The sessions focused on strengthening the capacity of fisheries officers, enumerators, and other relevant stakeholders to accurately identify shark and ray species and improve the quality and consistency of catch-landing monitoring. Particular attention was given to priority species under CITES, IOTC, and the CMS Sharks MoU, alongside standardized collection of information on catch, fishing effort, and biological characteristics.

📌 Joshua was accompanied throughout by Maaloumi Abdou Ali, Database Manager at the Fisheries Monitoring and Surveillance Centre, Department of Fisheries, who has been a key counterpart in the process. Together, they have been reviewing and improving the national catch data collection form, drawing directly from field experience and the practical needs of data collectors.

📘 In parallel, Joshua is also updating the shark and ray identification manual to better reflect national needs and feedback from the field. Once finalized, the manual will be printed and distributed to data collectors to support more consistent species identification and monitoring.

This work is part of the Paving the Way for Shark and Ray Conservation in Comoros project under the Strengthening Ocean Protection in Comoros - R-POC programme. It aims to improve knowledge of and presence, distribution, abundance, and fishing pressure, while strengthening national capacity for their sustainable management.

🤝 Bloomberg Philanthropies, WILDTRUST OFFICIAL,Wildoceanssa, Nekton

21/08/2026

📢Project News: Strengthening Fisheries Co-Management in Kenya.🌊

CORDIO East Africa and The Nature Conservancy in Africa (TNC) have joined forces to strengthen fisheries governance and support resilient coastal communities in Kilifi County, Kenya, through a new co-management initiative. The project aims to fast-track the implementation of the TAMBIKO Joint Co-Management Area (JCMA) Management Plan.

🫂Securing Coastal Livelihoods
The TAMBIKO JCMA is a critical marine ecosystem covering 481 square kilometres along Kenya’s northern coast, stretching west of Takaungu Creek. It encompasses four vital Beach Management Units (BMUs): Takaungu, Mnarani, Kilifi Central, and Bofa.

The area directly supports over 1,324 local fishers. Stakeholders note that the project will bridge the gap between science, policy, and daily fishing practices to ensure these communities thrive sustainably.

💙Science and Partnership
The initiative rests on three pillars: improving ecosystem health, ensuring sustainable use of priority fisheries, and building community resilience through capacity building and local marine monitoring.

During the Kilifi and Mombasa courtesy call meetings, the partners agreed on an operational framework, reporting schedules, and governance structures to streamline decision-making between non-governmental organisations and state departments.

💡Next steps
With the initial courtesy calls completed, the partnership, together with TAMKIBO JCMA-BMU Committee, is preparing for an official Project Inception Meeting to build awareness and understanding with other key stakeholders before ground implementation kicks off.

🔗Read the full project launch news story: https://cordioea.net/fisheries-co-management-kenya/

Project Partners: Kilifi County Government , Kenya Fisheries Service, The Nature Conservancy in Africa, TAMKIBO JCMA BMUs

19/08/2026

📢 Cameras or Divers: How well do different underwater survey methods capture predatory reef fish communities?

Our new study, led by Kennedy Osuka, PhD and other experts and published in Ecology and Evolution, compared baited remote underwater videos (BRUVs) with timed “Long Swim” underwater visual censuses (LS-UVC) on the reefs of Pemba Island, Tanzania.

💡The key finding: these methods are complementary, not interchangeable🐟.

BRUVs detected higher species richness and more unique species, particularly mobile and deeper-dwelling fishes, while LS-UVC was better at detecting resident, reef-associated species. The two methods showed consistently low similarity in the communities they detected. Used together, they provide a more comprehensive and ecologically meaningful picture of predatory reef fish communities—providing stronger information for coral reef monitoring, fisheries management and conservation.

🔗 Read a summary of the study here:

In our latest study, we compared two widely used survey methods—Baited Remote Underwater Videos (BRUVs) and Long Swim Underwater Visual Census (LS-UVC)—on the coral reefs of Pemba Island, Tanzania.

14/08/2026

🌴 Looking Back: The Blue Tourism Initiative in Madagascar 🐋

How does a destination become a leader in sustainable tourism?

In May, we travelled to Sainte Marie, Madagascar, to revisit the Blue Tourism Initiative pilot and hear from the people who helped shape the Sainte Marie Eco-Label—Madagascar's first island-based sustainable tourism certification scheme.

🎥 Together with Berthy Ramdoo, focal point of BTI in Madagascar, we retraced the development of the eco-label, exploring the collaborative process that brought it to life and the shared commitment that underpins its success. We also spoke with tourism stakeholders who embraced the initiative, reflecting on their experiences and on how the eco-label is helping establish a shared standard for more responsible, high-quality tourism on Sainte Marie.

This documentary is the second in our series of Blue Tourism Initiative video diaries, documenting the stories, partnerships and local leadership that shaped the project's pilot sites across the Western Indian Ocean.

🙏 Our appreciation to the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM), IDDRI and Eco-Union for supporting the Blue Tourism Initiative in the Western Indian Ocean and making these stories possible.

▶️ Watch the Madagascar video diary:

The Blue Tourism Initiative was launched in July 2022 with the aim ...

06/08/2026

🎣 Advancing Sustainable Fisheries in Coastal Kenya 🌊

We are pleased to commence the second phase of our participatory fishing gear trials, this time focusing on handline gear modification in Kibuyuni and Majoreni Beach Management Units (BMUs) along Kenya's south coast. The initiative forms part of the Kwale–Tanga Transboundary Conservation and Sustainable Management of Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Project, supported by International Climate Initiative through Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

Building on years of fisheries research, the trial seeks to reduce the capture of juvenile fish by testing medium-sized hooks that have been shown to improve gear selectivity while maintaining, and potentially enhancing, fishers' catch and income. Equally important, the trial integrates scientific evidence with the knowledge and experience of local fishers to co-develop practical, locally relevant solutions for sustainable fisheries management.

🌊 The participatory trial will:
📌 Evaluate the effectiveness of modified handline gear under normal fishing conditions.
📌 Train and support community data collectors to monitor catches using digital tools.
📌 Document fishers' experiences and perceptions throughout the trial.
📌 Generate evidence to inform the adoption and scaling of sustainable fishing practices.

The trial adopts a participatory approach that combines ecological monitoring with socio-economic assessment, ensuring that recommendations are informed by both scientific evidence and the practical experiences of resource users. The findings will contribute to evidence-based fisheries management by identifying gear modifications that are ecologically effective, socially acceptable, and suitable for wider adoption within Kenya's small-scale fisheries.

CORDIO's Geoffrey Otieno and David Mwandikwa are leading the exercise.