Community Restoration Training in Msuka, Pemba

03.08.2025

In close collaboration with WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) and local partners, marinecultures.org carried out a multi-day field and training mission in northern Pemba at the end of July.
The goal: to further empower the local community in restoring damaged coral reefs – through knowledge, hands-on practice, and shared responsibility.

Theory training in Konde

The training began with a full-day theory session held at the secondary school in Konde.
Participants included not only the marinecultures.org and WCS teams and members of the local community, but also representatives from Blue Alliance, Mwambao, PECCA, the Fisheries Department, and seven community members.

Topics covered included:

• Introduction to marinecultures.org and its reef work in Msuka
• Structure and function of coral reefs
• Causes of reef degradation and possible solutions
• Restoration methods – from artificial reefs to Reef Stars

The presentations were delivered in Kiswahili and are available online to all interested parties: Klick here (access upon request).

Practical Trainings for the Local Community
On the following two days, separate practical trainings for women and men from the Msuka community were held. With two boats and around 20 participants per day, we headed out to put the theory into practice.

First, the Reef Stars (artificial reef structures) were coated at the base – with active participation from both the men and women of the community. Then we took to the water: With prepared coral fragments from the nursery, participants learned how to attach them to the coated Reef Stars using wire or cable ties.

In total, 30 Reef Stars were planted and successfully deployed on the seafloor – marking an important step in local reef restoration efforts.

While the male and female groups were each guided by trainers from MC and WCS, community members showed great interest and skill in handling the materials – despite occasionally rough sea conditions.

At the same time as our Reef Star training, a new road was being paved in the village of Msuka under Turkish supervision. Across Zanzibar and Pemba, large-scale road construction projects are currently underway – a visible sign of progress taking hold.

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