Marine Conservation Organizations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East

A Rocha is a Christian environmental conservation charity with projects around the world, and specifically marine-oriented in Kenya. A Rocha Kenya’s field study centre is on the coast opposite Watamu National Marine Park. The team monitors the health of the park, the coral reef and the important coastal mangrove forests of Mida Creek.

AIMM is a Portuguese environmental non-governmental and not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the research and conservation of marine species and ecosystems such as dolphins, whales, sharks, sea turtles and marine birds. Founded in 2010 and based in the Algarve region, AIMM aims to be a reference for marine research and conservation, and education about the marine environment, promoting activities and establishing partnerships that, in a cooperative way, enhance the understanding of issues related to the marine environment. AIMM has developed most of its projects in the Algarve region, but also in other regions of Portugal and outside the country, particularly in the Atlantic. They work in collaboration with national and international entities, such as maritime agents, administrative authorities, dolphin watching companies, other NGOs and public institutions. In cooperation, they try to promote a sustainable and safer environment for marine species. See their instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/aimmportugal_org/. Their Youtube channel includes several videos well worth watching.

Note: confirmation required re whether ARVAM is still operational. Website under construction 2022 ARVAM works on monitoring and research activities in the marine conservation field in the Indian Ocean mainly in Mayotte and Reunion. The agency conducts research in oceanology, and is also a member of several scientific networks, such as WIOMSA. Included in their activities is involvement in a scientific project called Biolave which studies the impact of eruptions of Piton de la Fournaise 6. Another major subject is the study of the effect of algae populations on health, and in particular of ciguatera.

The Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS) is an intergovernmental agreement which is a legal conservation tool based on cooperation, with the purpose to reduce threats to cetaceans notably by improving current knowledge of these remarkable animals.

The Aeolian Islands Preservation Foundation exists to preserve the exceptional beauty and natural heritage of the archipelago which is north of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea off Italy . AIPF raises money from people from all around the world who care about the future of the Aeolian Islands. which donations are used to give out grants to local environmental and sustainable initiatives. AIPF has worked with 'partners and funded projects to protect the land and sea, commissioned studies to engage the community and promote change, and established alliances to strengthen local voices on critical issues'. Such projects include combatting plastic pollution and marine debris, creating marine protected areas, monitoring marine life such as turtles, supporting marine research, education and awareness, amongst others.

AfrObis is the African arm of OBIS, based in South Africa. OBIS is a global open-access data and information clearing-house on marine biodiversity for science, conservation and sustainable development. More than 20 OBIS nodes around the world connect 500 institutions from 56 countries. Collectively, they have provided over 45 million observations of nearly 120 000 marine species, from Bacteria to Whales, from the surface to 10 900 meters depth, and from the Tropics to the Poles. OBIS emanates from the Census of Marine Life (2000-2010) and was adopted as a project under IOC-UNESCO’s International Oceanographic Data and Information (IODE) programme in 2009. AfrObis is the African arm of OBIS, based in South Africa.

The African Aquatic Conservation Fund is dedicated to the preservation of African manatees, turtles, cetaceans, and other aquatic wildlife and their habitats throughout the African continent. This is done via focused research, conservation, and education projects. The Fund works in close partnership with local people, scientists, governments, and other stakeholders for the benefit of both wildlife and humans.

The African Bioacoustics Community aims to provide a networking forum for people working on all aspects of bio-acoustic research in Africa, including to shine a light on the achievements of bioacoustics research in Africa. They aim at equal representation, access to crucial learning and networking opportunities, and providing an environment where information flows freely between scientists, research labs, countries, and continents.

ACE work with a marine conservation project in South Africa, organising volunteers for conservation work, including school trip, gap year students and adventure tourism. This is an example of the many conservation-oriented volunteer experiences that exist for fee-paying volunteers. They are not included in this database as a rule, this one being here as an example of what is available. They can easily be found on the internet.

AFMESI's mission is to achieve total sensitization of people, organizations, groups, governments among others in Africa towards achieving sustainable utilization of the marine environment and its resources, by providing a platform for information exchange among experts on the subject globally and harnessing and directing such knowledge to protecting, restoring and improving the quality of the oceans in the continent . (Note: social media contacts not connecting in July 2021)

AMMCO’s mission is to contribute to the protection of the aquatic megafauna and their habitats in Central Africa by improving the scientific knowledge of the area, and involving fishers and other stakeholders into sustainable fisheries and responsible watershed-use. The four strategies they have adopted include applied research and monitoring, integrated management, awareness and capacity building. In practice this involves conservation of the aquatic megafauna b: Protection, Restoration, Good local governance, Community-based conservation, Alternative livelihood and Advocacy. They aim to develop the advanced skills and experience required in aquatic research, achieved by providing internship, mentorship, and workshops to students and fishermen frequently.

The African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) is a project of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. Opened in 2015, the APSS is as a custom-designed marine bird rehabilitation center. As a result of over fishing, by-catch and oil pollution, the population for many of the African endemic species of seabird is at an all time low, and their slow rate of breeding means that their numbers are struggling to compensate. The endangered African penguin colonies of Dyer Island have declined dramatically (almost 90% over 30 years). The APSS was founded to address these issues directly by rescuing, researching, and rehabilitating these unique marine species. The world-class seabird sanctuary in Gansbaai has a fully equipped lab and a vet on standby to treat birds immediately, thereby increasing the survival rate, while at the same time is creating much-needed awareness around the perils marine birds face out in the wild