Project background
Threatened marine habitats in the Indian Ocean
The Western Indian Ocean is a socially and biologically diverse region that contains some of the world’s most extensive and most climate resilient coral reefs and mangroves, which are critical sources of food, coastal protection, and income to coastal populations. Yet, the integrity of the region’s ecosystems is threatened by climate change, the overexploitation of fisheries, habitat clearing, and pollution.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and partners are tackling the issue of deteriorating marine environments in the Western Indian Ocean by expanding MPAs and improving their management.
WCS leads a project on the proposed Trans-Boundary Conservation Area (TBCA) between southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. The project addresses these challenges by supporting improved management of a network of climate resilient, sustainable and effectively managed MPAs. Understanding the cost of this management and identifying and developing potential sources of sustainable financing is essential to meeting conservation objectives for these areas.
