The remote Toliara region of southwest Madagascar contains some of the largest and most biodiverse coral reef systems in the Indian Ocean, home to the third largest barrier reef in the world, and critical to thousands of marine species and essential to the survival of the indigenous semi-nomadic Vezo people.
All of the country's accessible reefs are exploited by traditional artisanal fisheries. Fishing effort on reefs has increased considerably over the past decade as a result of rapidly expanding market demand. The growth of fishing effort has coincided with a diversification in the range of species targeted by fishers and collectors.
Marine protected areas (MPAs), particularly those incorporating fishery no-take zones (NTZs), have rapidly emerged as an important tool for improving the sustainability of tropical fisheries.
There is now a critical need for consistent data on coral reef habitat status and biodiversity on which to base systematic MPA planning methods. Such data are essential for the adoption of a holistic, ecosystem-scale approach to conservation planning in the region and a fundamental prerequisite to the development of a resilient network of marine and coastal protected areas.
Blue Ventures, in collaboration with Warwick University, and with additional technical support from the National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI), have developed a GIS for the Velondriake network. Working with the local communities, we have created a detailed habitat management plan for over 800 square kilometres of marine and coastal ecosystems. This comprises a high-resolution bathymetric map and coastal habitat map, over which additional data layers, derived from our MPA development programmes, are incorporated.
The development of a regional marine and coastal habitat GIS to support the creation of a regional MPA network has been discussed and welcomed by all of the institutions and NGOs in the area, and is currently being developed in partnership primarily with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the ... IHSM and Reefdoctor.
Visiting scientists and students from around the world come to Blue Ventures’ field site in Andavadoaka, southwest Madagascar, to work on independent research projects and dissertations.
Visiting scientists and students can research a wide range of conservation and ecological projects based at our field site in the village of Andavadoaka, located along the southwest coast of Madagascar. Volunteers who join Blue Ventures’ six-week conservation expeditions may also be able to use their time in Andavadoaka to earn credit toward their university courses.
Past research projects have covered such diverse issues as ecological monitoring of coral reefs and feasibility studies for tourism development in the region. A list of previous project titles is available here.
Medical Electives: find out more here.
Blue Ventures does not offer funding for independent research projects, but staff are able to provide supervision and guidance to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
We suggest that undergraduate students choose a project that can utilise archived databases and is not dependent on new data collection due to the difficult logistics and time constraints of this remote region. Depending on the amount of supervision required there might be a small fee associated with covering supervision time from Blue Ventures’ research teams.
Project ideas must support and contribute to the overall conservation goals of Blue Ventures. Please see below for current project proposals - we welcome other project ideas and suggestions.
Blue Ventures is also working with academic institutions across the UK to recruit medical students to work in Andavadoaka as part of their student elective programmes. The students will work with Blue Ventures’ new Family Planning Clinic in Andavadoaka, providing medical assistance and education to villagers. Students also will set up satellite family planning clinics in villages north and south of Andavadoaka.
For further information on any of these projects, or queries regarding other research opportunities, please contact us.
If you are interested in undertaking a research project with Blue Ventures please:
Blue Ventures currently has a number of project proposals:
