Ambodivahibe Marine Reserve

Ambodivahibe Marine Reserve is a new marine protected area that was identified during a marine Rapid assessment (RAP) in the north-east of Madagascar as an unusually rich zone for marine biodiversity. A cool upwelling from the deep bay is thought to provide natural resilience to coral bleaching and this may explain the unusually pristine coral habitat.

The area also hosts nationally-important areas of mangrove and seagrass habitat as well as endangered marine species including sea turtles and dugongs [1]

Conservation International is the protected area manager although in recent years, there has only been a skeleton staff present at the site.

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund has supported a number of small-scale initiatives to continue management of marine protected area since 2015.

Graine de vie[2] is a Belgian NGO that has developed reforestation programmes for mangrove and forest habitats.

C3 Madagascar[3] is a local NGO that has been increasingly active in the marine protected area, particularly working closely with communities[4] and endangered species.[5] The NGO received substantial funding from the European Union's Ecofish programme [6] in 2020 to develop community based fisheries management programme at sites in the Ambodavahibe Marine Reserve as well as Nosy Hara Marine Park on the Northwest coast of Madagascar.