Feedback Coral Restoration Training

04.06.2023

Faraji Suleiman Mohamed, 24 years old, Bsc Marine Biology, University of Dar Es Salaam, Scuba fish Dive Center, Matemwe, Zanzibar.
The training has given me an in-depth knowledge not only about corals, but also a step-by-step guide on how to better conserve and restore them. I liked the training because it has allowed me to have a hands-on practice on what we learnt and that has alleviated any doubts on this new skill. With this new knowledge am going to be a reef patriot, encouraging others to also protect the reefs and the ocean in general.

Training of the Genotype Handling

Masanja Charles Joram, 46 years old, BSc Aquaculture at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania, Mafia Island Marine Park, Marine Conservation Warden.
As we all know, Coral restoration is a new technology to regenerate destructed reefs. A lot of effort is being applied to rescue this valuable ecosystem. I was touched with the ongoing coral restoration programs worldwide and wanted to involve myself fully but I was having no technical knowhow, since Coral gardening and reef restoration is not lectured at our universities. So I was stranded as there where no such programs around where I work. I decided to study online courses which actually lacked practical skills. Then came a “life time opportunity” from ZACORES/Linda Bahari for four people training on Coral Gardening at Marine Cultures under Master Coral Gardener Mr Christian Vaterlaus in Zanzibar. It was my first time to come on the island too. The training is informative with a lot of get wet practical’s. I have learnt a lot of Coral restoration techniques from nursery installation to coral transplantation. Back in Mafia, I will put my skills to the Marine Park team and put them to the service of others. I want to train different people which includes my fellow staff, community members, the Diving Centers and community, and other stakeholders, to raise awareness, show good practice and join hands on restoring Corals on the Mafia Archipelago. I'm happy to state today that I feel like I am one Coral restoration Ranger that can make a difference. I went back home with a sample of a demonstration coral nursing table which will be exposed at the Marine Parks and Reserve Units of Tanzania in Dar Es Salaam on World Ocean 2023 day.

The students together with Ali Mahmudi in the middle and Anne Laudisloit

Billy Benard Okoth, 23 years old, PADI rescue diver and logisitican at Dive Point Dive center, co-supervisor of Linda Bahari daily activities.
With this Coral restoration professionalizing training, I was able to see underwater what theory taught me online. I am not a scientist, I am a waiter on Fridays, a dive operation assistant in the dive center of the Sunshine Marine Hotel where the headquarter of Linda bahari is based every day. I don’t come from the coastal communities. I am somehow. I was born along the Victoria lake. I never knew that one day my parents would move to salty waters. I was 9. How could I know? I have finished high school, I am sometimes shy in front of people who flag their diplomas, but I have a practical mindset which led me to become the operation assistant in one of the best Dive center of Zanzibar despite my young age. When I was offered to become the new face of Linda Bahari when Frank Mollel the founder is not around, I did not give it a second thought. I was curious. Over 10 days, I aquired a new practical knowledge from being trained by the Marine Cultures staff. Yes, I've learned and saw a lot, I am not used to write reports and this is something I need to learn and this training inspired me when I heard the story of the Marine Cultures staff. The project manager Ali Mahmudi was a kid in the street who saw some people with bottle on their back going to the sea and back. They never had fish with them when they came out of the water. I would also be suspicious. What are they doing? Why don’t they bring food home? But then I started to dive and slowly I started to understand that to protect the fish we want to bring to our families; we need to understand how and where they live”. I can't wait to use and share this idea with other staff members at the Dive center where I work and where people know that corals are being rescued. I want to be the one bridging the surface and the underwater activities connected with the Linda Bahari activities.

Abdi teaching to produce coral discs

Hassan Joshi jumbe, from Mafia island Tanzania, 31 years old, PADI Dive Master, head of coral restoration, Shungu-Mbili private Island, Mafia Island Archipelago.
From 2022 I started job on Thanda island or Shungu Mbili private island and Marine Reserve. I was directly involved in the coral restoration project initiated by Marine Biologist Rianne Laan. And there was new thing for me with coral restoration, I was so excited with coral restoration and learned a lot about coral, fortunately I got this great opportunity Coral restoration training in Jambiani with marinecultures.org and I'm so happy with this training. We were learning a lot about in this training and for me very special with new technique of coral restoration like artificial structures and managing a 42 tables, 6000 corals farm and getting a transplanting agenda that make sure the reefs recovers from the damages. From now on I have a lot of knowledge about coral restoration and ready to provide this knowledge to the local community. I will be continuing to learn and am now ready to perform Coral Restoration anywhere in the world. We re now a team of Coral restorers and rangers and have been included in several knowledge sharing groups so as to help each other with our diverse experiences and experiment to grow corals in various sites along the West Indian Ocean Tanzanian Coast and Islands.

<< back