In May 2012, Bemahafaly Randriamanantsoa, WCS Madagascar Marine Operations Coordi- nator, along with other coral reef scientists and conservationists from the Western Indian Ocean, participated in a study tour to the
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) in Townsville (Queensland) in Aus- tralia, arranged by ISLANDS, a project of the Indian Ocean Commission financed by the European Union.
The study tour to Australia
provided significant benefits to the partici- pants through exposure to well-established coral reef management, research and moni- toring programs, which have developed over the past 30+ years. The participants gained knowledge and experience including identify- ing opportunities for training and capacity
building, knowledge sharing with other re- gional organizations, potential for exchange programs, sustainable development ap- proaches, building community capacity, and in particular, the long term economic, envi- ronmental and social benefits of sustainable coral reef management.