MERMOZ

Marine ecosystems are under pressure from increasing direct and indirect impacts of human activities, leading to a global decline of species and a degradation of oceans’ health. This, in turn, impacts the ability of oceans to provide the many ecosystem services essentiel to people well-being and livelihoods. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), including Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs), are the cornerstone of marine conservation strategies, with the associated goal to mainstream biodiversity conservation into sustainable management. However, many enabling conditions are often not met, jeopardizing the effectiveness of MPA and OECM networks. Amongst those, ecological connectivity (e.g., movements of juvenile and adult species) is one too rarely considered in conservation strategies, although mentioned in international targets, including the recent Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). By combining computer models with tracking and genomic data, our project, MERMOZ (Marine Ecological connectivity and conseRvation in the MOZambique Channel), will inform ongoing national strategies to help meet international conservation targets in the Southwestern Indian Ocean. In particular, we will inform conservation networks design based on improved knowledge of current and future ecological connectivity at different life history stages of various vulnerable, iconic or representative fish, turtle and seabird species in the Mozambique Channel (MC), Indian Ocean. Moreover, we will identify potential future connectivity hotspots considering climate shifts and movement of species as they track suitable climate conditions. This understanding will be complemented with socioeconomic assessments to inform on-going conservation efforts in the MC and help to promote successful socioeconomic and biodiversity outcomes of conservation, overall leading to the aspired ‘harmony between human and nature’ of the 2030 GBF.