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(April 11, 2012) Antongil Bay, in northeast Madagascar, contains many marine habitats: estuaries, mangroves, rocky shores, coral reefs, and seagrass beds facing threats from high fishing pressure and illegal fishing, depletion of mangrove forests, sedimentation from terrestrial run- off, and petroleum industry exploration. To protect those critical habitats the Marine National Park of Nosy Antafana was created in 1989 (1,000 ha), three marine protected areas, within the Masoala National...

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(March 18, 2012) Increasing engagement of local communities in holistic ecosystem management is essential to long- term sustainable conservation efforts. Supporting good governance and increased local management capacity is critical to sustaining this process. In order for PCDDBA to achieve organizational sustain- ability and become more effective advocates for local issues, a study tour in Antananarivo, Fi- anarantsoa and Fenerive Est was organized from February 19 to March 7, 201...

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(February 14, 2012) In southwest Madagascar traditional Vezo fishermen opportunistically hunt coastal dolphins for local consumption and sale of meat. Initially, a single community (Anakao and surrounding villages) was identified as practicing a drive hunt on pods of spinner, Indo- Pacific bottlenose and Indo- Pacific humpback dolphins. Through a series of workshops and conservation actions since 2007, WCS facilitated the establishment of the commu- nity-based Anakao Association for the Protection ...

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(January 10, 2012) Analysis of remote sensing images from satel- lites indicated that sea surface temperatures were increasing in early 2012 north of Madagas- car in the so-called WIO “coral triangle”. A task force was thus mobilised to undertake the sur- veys and sampling needed to assess the extent of coral bleaching in the affected area. Justin Hart from the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) in South Africa joined this task force to assess, with the assistance of WCS, l...

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(December 26, 2011) Leader surged to curb climate vulnerability , Eco Voice, December, 2011. In a new scientific paper and book, leading marine re- searchers Dr. Josh Cinner of the ARC Centre of Excel- lence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University, and Tim McClanahan of the Wildlife Conservation Society propose a novel framework for helping millions of people most at risk to cope with massive changes in their jobs, lives, and environment driven by the warming climate. Based on a study of 1500 house...

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(December 20, 2011) WCS Madagascar shared lessons learned from its climate change and coral reef conservation pro- gram to the 26th General Meeting of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). ICRI is a part- nership among governments, international organizations, and non-government organizations. It strives to preserve coral reefs and related ecosystems. The third General Meeting under the French-Samoan co-secretariat was held from the 12-15 December 2011, in La Réunion. In a...

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(December 19, 2011) Madagascar is leading the way among Indian Ocean countries by developing a national policy on marine fisheries which takes into account the principles of good governance. The Wildlife Conservation Society is a member of the Ma- rine NGO Platform which is chairing one of the four commissions that have been established to support the process of developing this strategy. Read more: http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/16638/madagascar-to-develop- fisheries-strategy

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(December 19, 2011) Congratulations to Bebe Jean RAHARINOSY and Toky VOAJANAHARY, WCS Toliara seascape field staff, who recently graduated from Toliara University – IHSM (Madagascar Fishery and Marine Sci- ence Institute). They successfully defended they Master degree theses in December 2011. Bebe Jean’s and Toky’s research theses focused on community based management of marine resources in southwest Madagascar.

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(November 20, 2011) From November 16th to 19th a strategic planning workshop was held in Antananarivo with most of the staff of WCS Madagascar Marine Program and with the assistance of two representa- tives from WCS Headquarters in New York. The objectives of the workshop were to initiate the development of synoptic plans for each Madagascar seas- cape, strengthen the links be- tween Madagascar Ocean Giant and Seascape Programs and build capacities of Madagascar Marine staff.

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(October 01, 2011) From October 24th to 29th the biannual WIOMSA Scientific Symposium was held in Mombasa. WIOMSA is a regional professional, non-profit, membership organization, established in 1993, dedicated to promoting the educational, scientific and technological development of all aspects of marine sciences throughout the western Indian Ocean region. Four staff from WCS Madagascar Marine Program attended this symposium and delivered two oral and one poster presentations: Ecological impacts of Masoala marin...

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