News

News Updates

Read the March Edition of the WIOMSA Newsbrief!

The March 2021 issue of the WIOMSA Newsbrief is a bumper edition filled with informative news on the recently concluded regional Science to Policy meeting convened by the Nairobi Convention and WIOMSA; the results of the vote by WIOMSA Members on the WIOMSA General Assembly and Board Tenure; new projects under WIOMSA’s research programmes; updates...
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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. Download...
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The December Newsbrief is out

Read the latest issue of the WIOMSA Newsbrief which features articles on the timing of the next WIOMSA General Assembly and the term of the WIOMSA Board of Trustees. We share news from the Marine and Coastal Science for Management (MASMA) programme and the Cities and Coasts project, highlights from newly published papers, regional news,...
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Call for submission of discussion papers for the WIO Science to Policy meeting: DEADLINE EXTENDED!

The deadline for submission of Discussion papers for the WIO Science to Policy meeting has been extended to 30 November 2020. For more details on the criteria for reviewing the discussion papers; objectives, structure and themes of the Science to Policy workshop, please download the concept note.    
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Read the 2019 WIOMSA Annual Report

2019 was a year of remarkable progress and impact for WIOMSA. The 2019 Annual report captures how WIOMSA has worked mindfully and effectively to take advantage of the opportunities presented to work at the intersection of science, management, policy and society in the coastal and marine environment of the Western Indian Ocean region. The various...
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Call for Expressions of Interest Technical Project Evaluators

Blue Action Fund is interested in setting up a network of evaluators of its grant programme. To that effect, it is seeking Expressions of Interest from qualified candidates in Eastern and Western Africa and the Eastern Tropical Pacific Regions. With a growing grant portfolio, the objective is to identify a small number of experts in...
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Call for submission of discussion papers for the WIO Science to Policy meeting

In response to the decisions of the Contracting Parties, the Nairobi Convention Secretariat and WIOMSA in collaboration with partners will convene a Science to Policy meeting in February 2021. The meeting will promote the link between science and policy for evidence-based decision making and provide the COP with timely technical advice and policy recommendations for...
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Request for Expression of Interest: A review of marine plastic litter in the WIO region

The Group of Experts on Marine Litters and Microplastics is inviting expression of interest from three senior experts each to prepare a report on different aspects of marine litter in the WIO region. The reports will focus on three inter-related studies that will assess (i) the status of marine litter and microplastics knowledge in the...
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An Opportunity to Build Back Better: Issue 11 of the WIOMSA Magazine focusing on Ecosystem Restoration is out!

WIOMSA and the Nairobi Convention have jointly produced two issues of the WIOMSA Magazine focusing on restoring damaged coastal ecosystems.  The publication of this issue of the  Magazine in 2020 is quite timely, coinciding with the start of the decade of ecosystem  for which the United Nations has unequivocally reaffirmed that “restoring damaged ecosystems is an efficient...
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WIOMSA publishes two reports on science to policy uptake

WIOMSA as a partner of the MeerWissen: African-German Partners for Ocean Knowledge programme (funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development-BMZ-and implemented with support from GIZ), is pleased to announce the publication of two reports:   i) Enhancing Science-to-Policy Uptake in the Western Indian Ocean Region: Background Document and Guidelines on Effective...
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The 10th Issue of the WIOMSA Magazine is out!

The edition is the second part of a series inspired by the Women in Marine Science Network (WiMS) based on the theme “Breaking the class ceiling; Stories from women who are making a difference in coastal and marine resource management”.  The editor, Rebecca Loustau-Lalanne, sums up this special issue that comes to you in the midst...
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Call for nominations: WIOMSA Emerging Scientist Award

WIOMSA is inviting nominations of candidates for the WIOMSA Emerging Scientist Award. The award recognizes significant achievements and outstanding contributions made by emerging scientists for research in coastal and marine sciences in the WIO region. The deadline for submission of nominations is 30th June 2020. Download the full announcement.
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New research: Community conservation means more fish in the sea

New research published this week has shown that community-led marine conservation can increase the size of fish populations − a critical objective for conservationists working to protect coral reefs. The study, published this week in the journal Ocean and Coastal Management, analysed data collected from five community-managed reserves (areas permanently protected from fishing) within the Velondriake Locally...
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COVID underscores the urgency of holistic community-based approaches to conservation

This article was first published as a commentary on Mongabay on April 22nd 2020, written by Blue Ventures’ Executive Director, Dr Alasdair Harris. Blue Ventures is an NGO that develops community-led approaches to marine conservation that benefit communities and the environment. Impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on vulnerable communities in the Global South go far beyond...
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Why conservation needs a new way to scale

While global efforts to tackle poverty are making progress, conservation isn’t following the same trajectory. The world’s oceans are warming and the abundance of life on earth is dropping at rates unprecedented in human history. Globally, a million plant and animal species are now threatened with extinction putting at risk humanity’s life support systems. All...
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