Another key step in the process of establishment of two resilient MPAs was taken when scientific baseline studies were conducted in November 2011. These studies included ecological and so- cial vulnerability assessments in order to identify relevant adaptive responses to climate change impacts within the design and man- agement plans of each MPA. During three weeks 6 national scientists (from WCS, IHSM, CNRO, Conservation International, and Antsira- nana University) and 4 oversea scientists (from KELONIA, WCS Kenya, ARC Centre of Excel- lence for Coral Reef Studies) have collected data on corals, fishes, macro-invertebrates, marine turtles, marine mammals, socioeconom- ics, reef resilience and social adaptive capacity
For instance the study revealed that six species of ma- rine mammals: humpback whale (Megaptera novaean- gliae), right whale (Eubalaena australis), dugong (Du- gong dugon), and three species of dolphins (Tursiops sp., Stenella sp., Sousa chinensis) are recognized by the ma- jority of local fishermen as species using the marine area around Nosy Mitsio (Ankarea MPA).