Transplanted coral on an artificial structure. A South African scientist and conservationists in Tanzania are working to restore coral reefs by cultivating and transplanting corals onto artificial structures. Coral reefs in the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar host high biodiversity and support the livelihoods of local communities through tourism and subsistence fishing but very strong El-Niño events in 1998, 2007 and 2016 resulted in massive coral bleaching.
Camilla Floros , who has a doctorate in marine biology and is marine programme manager for NGO Wild Impact , explains that she and her team have been working to promote marine conservation around Mnemba Island in Tanzania where intense human pressure on Mnemba House Reef has reduced coral cover to about 10 percent. "The anticipated impact if this decline if not reversed is the loss of habitat for marine species, loss of reef protection against the effects of climate change, threat to the value of the area for tourism and risk to the food security of the coastal communities," she says, adding that in 2021, reef restoration efforts were initiated through the creation of a coral nursery to grow colonies for transplanting onto the degraded reefs to increase coral cover and promote ecosystem recovery. Starting with just five nursery tables with 600 coral fragments, by 2023 the team has 42 tables holding nearly 6000 coral fragments, with a total of 7 100 coral colonies transplanted onto the degraded Mnemba House R.
