20 Apr 2022 Toliara, Madagascar, Africa Marine | Communities | Biodiversity | Habitat | Plants
Effectiveness for Communities-Based Seagrass Restoration in Ranobe Bay, Southwest of Madagascar
Seagrass beds are important on ecological roles in the marine biodiversity. They are a breeding ground for some species, habitat for others and a feeding area for many species and very well known in the climate change mitigation. Previous studies show that the seagrass bed covers about 0.15% area of the coast of Madagascar, which is concentrated on the western part. However, these meadows are currently being degraded as a result of natural phenomenal and anthropic activities. Protection, conservation and restoration activities are the best ways to recover and manage sustainably the seagrass as blue Carbone ecosystem. For Madagascar, very limited literature exists for seagrass ecosystems as tools for decision makers. We need good scientific information for future management and Restoration of seagrass ecosystem, that the reason way of the present project entitled: Trial of seagrass restoration techniques in Ranobe Bay, southwest of Madagascar. The aim of this project is to find the best technique of restoration by testing three techniques for transplantation of seagrass. The identification of best parameters as factors involving on the growth of seagrass are primordial such as: nature of the sediment, physical and chemical parameters.
This project will be conducted in collaboration with the local community and the NGO working on conservation in the area. The project will be implemented as following:
(i) meetings with the local community to show the importance and the objectives of the project and to raise awareness the importance of seagrass beds,
(ii) study of the environment and parameters before the test of transplantation technics will be carried out on each site,
(iii) the processing of the trial transplantation technics and finally
(iv) the implementation of monitoring of the transplanted areas.
Header: Seagrass planted by method with sediment after 06 months of plantations at Ifaty. ©BEVA Grilante.