The article addresses a concerning decline in long-spined sea urchin populations, posing…
February 7th, 2024
Massive sea urchins die-off
We’re witnessing a concerning phenomenon: a notable decline in long-spined sea urchin populations. Signs of the sickness include spine loss, excess mucus, and decreased mobility. This poses a significant threat to the delicate balance of our coral reef ecosystems.
Why is this important? When sea urchin populations decrease, algae proliferation on coral reefs becomes rampant. This transition, known as a « phase shift, » leads to the domination of algae over coral, altering the reef’s natural ecosystem.
January 15th, 2024
Sea Cucumber Aquaculture
After an initial phase of interviews aiming to understand the livelihood dynamics around Matemwe fishermen, some exciting solutions as alternative sources of income with less impact on the marine ecosystem of Matemwe lagoon have come up. Under The Wave, in collaborations with Zanzibar department of Fishery, Matemwe Fishing Committee and Wageningen University researchers, will develop Sea Cucumber farms inside the lagoon. Creating small cooperatives each one in charge of one or more farms will enable the fishermen to have more reliable source of income depending less on fish stock provided by the ocean.
Jan 12th, 2024
Reef Monitoring
Core project of our NGO, Reef Monitoring is extremely important to understand the diversity and health of the reef along Matemwe.
After 1 year of monitoring, we have improved our scientific protocol. It allows us to identify the indicator species of fish and invertebrates together with the diversity and status of corals, that are sign of a healthy reef.
Every week the team goes to a different site inside the lagoon to collect data and every month we have a data analysis session during which we analyze the results and discuss the progress. The data will be shared with community representatives and national departments as research base for the protection and conservation of the lagoon.
January 5th, 2024
Launch of our Second-Year Environmental Program
We’re delighted to kick off the second year of our environmental education initiative, reaching even more young minds across Matemwe. This year, we’re expanding to four classes—two in primary and two in secondary schools—across three government schools, engaging a total of 160 eager students.
Welcoming our new students was a joy, and we’re enthusiastic about the educational journey ahead. Faraji will guide our secondary school classes, while Doreen leads the primary school sessions.
Keep an eye out for updates on our program’s evolution and the incredible achievements of our students as they explore and protect the wonders of our planet!
Jan 1st, 2024
Celebrating the New Year
At Under The Wave we welcomed the start of 2024 with exciting news and projects. |
After a 2023 dedicated to the Marine Education Program in schools and the Coastal and Village Pollution Project, we are pleased to see the joy and improvements that our NGO is bringing around Zanzibar with the support of The Living Ocean, our donors and collaborators. |