MDG-02 · Coral Reef & Seagrass
Andavadoaka Marine Research Expedition
Survey one of the Indian Ocean's most diverse reef systems alongside the Vezo fishing communities who steward it.
Research Brief
On the arid southwest coast, the semi-nomadic Vezo people depend entirely on the sea. This expedition trains participants as reef-survey divers, contributing benthic and fish-abundance data to locally-managed marine areas. Coral restoration, mangrove monitoring, and octopus-fishery science sit alongside a full PADI dive progression.
Field Activities
- PADI Open Water / Advanced dive certification
- Belt-transect fish and invertebrate surveys
- Coral nursery construction & outplanting
- Mangrove carbon and seagrass monitoring
- Octopus no-take zone fisheries research
Expedition Log · Itinerary
Arrival & Dive Theory
Transfer to the coast, dive medicals, and confined-water skills.
Certification
Progressive open-water dives and species identification exams.
Survey Deployment
Daily paired survey dives collecting benthic and fish data along fixed transects.
Restoration & Community
Coral nursery work and collaboration with the village fisheries association.
Synthesis & Departure
Data entry, reef-health reporting, and return transfer.
Key Study Species
Cheilinus undulatus
Humphead Wrasse
Acropora spp.
Staghorn Corals
Chelonia mydas
Green Turtle