Newsbrief Volume 13 No
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December 2008 WIOMSA Newsbrief Volume 13 No. 4 Newsbrief WIOMSA-sponsored Students Graduate with MScs! Two students registered at the University of Dar es ago, WIOMSA started supporting MSc students to Salaam and fully funded by projects implemented implement some of the aspects of these projects. by WIOMSA, have successfully completed their MSc The approach taken by WIOMSA is beneficial to the degrees. This is the first time, graduate students have students in that it provides an opportunity for them been involved in the implementation of WIOMSA’s to be involved in detailed research -which would projects as part of their degree programmes. otherwise have been implemented through other methods- while providing them with scholarships to Since its establishment, WIOMSA has implemented enable them pursue their MSc degrees. a number of large, regional, long-term projects (at least three years duration). Recent projects include the WIOMSA, through its competitive research grant, Sustainable Coastal Communities and Ecosystems MASMA as well as the Marine Research Grant (SUCCESS) Programme, which WIOMSA is (MARG) programmes, has been providing funds to implementing in collaboration with the Coastal Resource successful individuals and institutions to be used in Center (CRC) of the University of Rhode Island and the supporting research projects. Some part of these grants Transboundary Networks of Marine Protected Areas for has ended up being utilized by students to fund their Integrated Conservation and Sustainable Development: MSc and PhD degree programmes either partially or Mr Ngowo presenting results of his research to the Biophysical, Socio-Economic and Governance fully. However, through SUCCESS and TRANSMAP villagers in Menai Bay Assessment in East Africa (TRANSMAP) Project, in programmes, WIOMSA has for the first time ever which WIOMSA was one of the twelve institutions from directly provided scholarships for three students to (Pelecypoda: Arcidae) in Fumba Peninsula, Unguja within and outside the region responsible for different enable them to undertake their MSc degrees at the Island”. It focused on assessing the performance of components of the project. University of Dar es Salaam. The three students small scale community – based marine no-take areas in were: Ms. Rose Sallema of the National Environment A variety of approaches have been used by conservation of cockles (Anadara antiquata). The study Management Council (NEMC), Mr. Jairos Mahenge of WIOMSA and its partners to implement these large analysed the”before” and “after” effect in the reserve, Mnazi Bay Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park (MBREMP) projects. Part-time staffs, short-term consultants and adjacent and control sites of Nyamanzi, Bondeni and Mr. Redfred Ngowo, also from MBREMP. Ms. volunteers, have been used to implement various and Chaleni in Unguja Island. Biological studies on Sallema and Mr. Mahenge’s were fully funded by the aspects of the projects. For the first time, three years morphometry, reproduction, and larval dispersal were Transmap Project while Mr. Ngowo’s scholarship also conducted to samples of A. antiquata to assess came from SUCCESS. Ms. Sallema and Mr. Ngowo, their reproductive output and factors affecting them. successfully completed their degrees in 2008, while Mr The study found that the mean number of cockles was Mahenge is finalizing his thesis. significantly higher after the establishment of no-take Ms. Sallema’s thesis is entitled “Population Distribution areas than it was before and the mean density of and Differentiation of Mangrove and Rocky Shore cockles in the reserves is higher than in the control sites. Gastropods (Littoraria Spp.) in Dar Es Salaam, This study has many management applications such Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary and Inhaca Island in as the setting of a minimum size limit for cockles to be Mozambique”. As the title indicates, the study assessed collected and based on the information on spawning the spatial scale variation of both mangrove and rocky seasons for cockles, one of the recommendations given shore littorinid species (Littoraria scabra, L. pallescens, was adaption of the seasonal closure of collection L. subvittata, L. intermedia and L. glabrata) based on grounds to allow spawning to take place. species’ population distribution and differentiation in At least four manuscripts from these two theses have these areas. The study revealed a significant difference been submitted to different peer-reviewed journals in littorinid population distribution and differentiation for publication. at both low and high spatial scales where factors such as increased habitat (mangrove) fragmentation and WIOMSA wishes to congratulate Ms. Sallema and distance between habitats might have affected the Mr. Ngowo for completing their theses within the set dispersal of the planktonic larvae of these species. timeframe and more importantly for writing good theses! Also, the lack of shape differentiation among rocky We are also grateful their supervisors, Professors Yunus shore populations compared to mangrove species may Mgaya and Jose Paula for Ms. Sallema and Drs. Rashid indicate that, similar ecological pressures are acting in Tamatama and Narriman Jiddawi for Mr. Ngowo, for a local scale, conditioning the development of specific all that they did to help them complete in time. We also morphological characters. commend Mr. Brian Crawford and Prof Michael Rice for working with Mr. Ngowo from the proposal development Mr Ngowo’s thesis was on “Role of Small Scale stages, through data analysis and eventually to the thesis Community-Based Marine No-Take Areas in writing. Asanteni sana! Ms Sallema in the field Conservation of Anadara Antiquata Linnaeus 1758 Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association • Web: www.wiomsa.org • E-mail: [email protected] • Tel: +255 24 2233472 December 2008 WIOMSA Newsbrief Page 2 Historic Nansen voyage enters final stage By Claire Attwood The Norwegian research vessel, Dr Fridtjof of biologists to identify marine species, says James Nansen, embarked on the fourth and final stage Stapley, IT and Communications Coordinator of of its historic four-month voyage in the western the ASCLME Project: Indian Ocean when it steamed out of Pemba, Mozambique on November 28. The final leg was “The idea is that, when technology moves completed in Durban on 17 December. forward, you’ll be able to buy genetic “barcode scanners” and with a small piece of tissue, get a Since it departed from Durban, South Africa readout on the species you’re dealing with in a on August 22, the Dr Fridtjof Nansen has few moments, without recourse to keys or even provided a platform for more than 50 scientists taxonomic experts.” from four countries in the region to conduct intensive oceanographic surveys off Madagascar You can read more about this project at and Mauritius and over the remote Mascarene www.fishbol.org. Plateau. It has also hosted receptions and open Humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae, days in the ports of Toamasina, Madagascar; Port with their distinctive long pectoral fins and A basket of splendid alfonsino, Beryx splendens, Louis, Mauritius and Port Victoria, Seychelles, knobbly heads, were sighted off southern trawled in deep water off Madagascar thereby raising awareness of the ship’s historic Madagascar and at times surrounded the Dr voyage in the countries of the region. Fridtjof Nansen, affording both scientists and temperature, current speed and direction, air “It has been a busy three months, but we are crew with a thrilling eyeball-to-eyeball encounter temperature and air pressure and relayed this absolutely delighted with the hard work and the with these magnificent mammals. data to a satellite. Eventually, the transmitted high levels of enthusiasm demonstrated by the Humpback whales feed in Antactica and information will help oceanographers to gain an scientists at every stage of the voyage,” says Dr migrate to the tropical waters of Madagascar to improved understanding of the strong current that David Vousden, Director of the ASCLME Project. breed and calve. flows from east to west through a deep channel north of Mauritius. They believe that the current is “Once the voyage is complete, the really difficult A short, four day cruise around the island of a major tributary of the South Equatorial Current. job of analysing data and capturing new Mauritius comprised the second stage of the knowledge about the Agulhas and Somali Large Nansen’s 2008 voyage. This was largely an Stage four of the Nansen voyage began in Pemba, Marine Ecosystems will begin.” oceanographic survey, conducted along eight Mozambique on November 28. Over 18 days, the scientific team sampled dipole eddies in the The United Nations-flagged Dr Fridtjof Nansen is transects perpendicular to the island of Mauritius. A range of oceanographic measurements, Mozambique Channel. The survey also continued on loan to the western Indian Ocean region from studies of the upwelling cell in the Delagoa Norway. Its 2008 voyage began on the east coast including water temperature, oxygen, salinity and nutrients were taken and samples of zooplankton Bight region which were started by the African of Madagascar, where bad weather and rough Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme (ACEP). seas did little to dampen the enthusiasm of a were collected. A single pelagic trawl collected a small number of fish including some lantern This upwelling cell dominates productivity in the team of South African, Malagasy and Norwegian southern part of Mozambique and most of the oceanographers