About Marine and Coastal Operations for Southern Africa & the Indian Ocean (MarCOSIO)Marine and Coastal Operations for Southern Africa & the Indian Ocean (MarCOSIO) is a regional consortium under the GMES & Africa programme, led by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of South Africa. The consortium provides user-driven EO-based services to support sustainable management of marine and coastal resources across the Western Indian Ocean and Southern Africa.
| About Global Monitoring for Environment and Security and Africa (GMES & Africa)GMES & Africa is a landmark joint programme of the African Union and the European Union. It aims to strengthen Africa’s capacity to access and use Earth Observation (EO) data and services for environmental management, climate resilience, and sustainable development. The programme tailors Copernicus and other EO products to African needs, supporting decision-making in critical areas such as water resources, natural resources, marine and coastal monitoring, disaster risk management, and food security. |
Reef Conservation’s role in GMES & Africa programme:
Reef Conservation provides technical expertise, local knowledge and user engagement across two core project themes of crucial importance for Small Island Developing States (SIDs): coastal ecosystem mapping and coral bleaching monitoring. Reef Conservation is dedicated to the management of Mauritius’s key coastal habitats: seagrass, coral reefs, and mangroves. This project pursues five specific objectives:
1. Coral Bleaching Monitoring: Track coral bleaching at specific locations around Mauritius and Rodrigues Islands to test and improve prediction models.
2. Habitat Assessment: Evaluate and monitor key lagoon habitats (seagrass, coral, and mangrove) at a strategic site in Mauritius.
3. Community Involvement: Engage and empower local communities in science-based lagoon management practices.
4. Stakeholder Engagement: Work with stakeholders in Mauritius and Rodrigues to use water quality data effectively.
5. Earth Observation Data Utilization: Support Island states in using Earth Observation data for better coastal management.
