Coral Reef Restoration and Aquaculture for People and Oceans

Community-based Ocean Conservation since 2008

Protecting the oceans – empowering people
Half of the world’s population lives in coastal areas that are under threat from overexploitation and climate change. Coral reefs are dying, biodiversity is declining, and livelihoods are being eroded.

marinecultures.org works with coastal communities in Zanzibar on sustainable aquaculture, coral restoration and fisheries management, and runs conservation projects for marine wildlife.

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Our mission

Community-based conservation means strengthening both nature and people. At marinecultures.org, we combine ecological restoration with social development. Our four pillars — reef restoration, fisheries management, youth awareness programs, and the Reef Restoration Training Centre — are interlinked: as we regenerate degraded coral reefs and promote biodiversity and fish stocks, we generate knowledge, income, and opportunities within the community. This creates a balance between healthy ecosystems and strong, self-determined coastal communities.

marinecultures.org is funded by donations and project-based grants. We are a small, close-knit organisation consisting of seven trained members of the local community, a scientist, and a managing director. Together, we are committed to the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems in Zanzibar.

Help us make a real impact—become a member, connect with us, or support our work with a donation.

Latest news

November 3, 2026

Coral Outplanting and Preparing for El Niño

Throughout the year, our coral restoration team aims to grow approximately 10,000 coral fragments in our in-water nursery. The nursery consists of 40 coral tables located at a depth of

October 7, 2026

Spawning Season Start

Coral Spawning Season Has Begun in Zanzibar From October to March, coral reefs along the East African coast enter the period when many coral species release their reproductive cells, known

September 13, 2026

New Homepage

marinecultures.org with a New Layout After several months of work, the moment has finally arrived: our new website is online! We’re excited to present marinecultures.org to you in a fresh,

What we do

Reef restoration

At our coral farm in the Jambiani Lagoon, we cultivate corals that are used to restore damaged reefs. We build artificial reefs, install buoys for fishing and diving boats to prevent anchor damage – and raise awareness of the ecological importance of the reefs.

Fisheries Management

Healthy marine ecosystems can only be preserved in the long term if local people are actively involved in their protection and use – and derive tangible benefits from them.

Sponge farming

Alongside gathering seafood and farming seaweed, sponge farming has become a new occupation for women on the east coast of Zanzibar. Our sponges are unique.

Training Centre for Reef Restoration

We empower local people to restore coral reefs independently and offer practical training to help them do so.

Awareness Programme

Our awareness-raising program strengthens the local community’s environmental awareness while also showing people where and how marinecultures.org operates.