Sainte-Marie Island is located on the east coast of Madagascar. Seventy kilometers long, five kilometers wide: a pin over the Indian Ocean. The barrier reef stretches mainly along the east coast and forms a ring in the south of the island.
Through the experience of local fishermen, studies carried out by scientists and the observations of divers, it is obvious that the reef around the island undergoes a general deterioration, accompanied by a reduction in the recovery in corals and the number of fish and their size (observation which can be generalized to all reefs around the world).
Aware of the importance of the good health of the coral reef for the well-being of the population (75% of the inhabitants are fishermen), actors from the island created the PCADDISM (Platform for Concertation of Actors of Sustainable Development Sainte Marie Island). They are supported by GRET (Research and Technological Exchange Group) and the objective is the creation of LMMA (Local Marine Management Area) and ultimately AMP (Marine Protected Area).

In November 2017, the Marex scientific team (expertise and advice about marine environment) was called to Sainte-Marie. With the logistical help of the Bora Dive and Research dive center, this team, among other research, free dived on 57 previously defined GPS points around the island in order to establish an ecological diagnosis of coastal marine sites (read Marex’s report on the Bora Dive and Research website).
Following this diagnosis, the scientists established 5 sentinel stations and carried out a reference state (fish and reef) on each of them. These reference values will then be compared with those of future data collections.

It was as a result of this scientific mission that the idea of ​​PRÎSM was born. Under the leadership of Jean, the team from the Bora Dive and Research diving center and the Cetamada association (conservation of marine mammals and their habitat) formed a team. This team organized the return of Marex in January 2018 for level 1 training on the technique of monitoring the health of coral reefs and identifying biological reef organisms. In summary: the transects.

Following this training, the PRÎSM team decides to carry out 4 fish transects per year (January, April, June and November) and 1 reef transect per year (November). The first transect took place in April 2018.

Ultimately, the objective of PRÎSM is to document and assess the health of the reef, the evolution of the fish population and the composition of the coral reef. This will give people options to respond to future decisions related to MPAs and LMMAs.

In the months that followed, Juliette Damien, oceanographer, joined the team and an association was created in France in order to be able to collect and manage funds. The Penycommin Trust for wildlife conservation decides to finance the project with a long-term vision, essential for this type of study.
In December 2019, the Marex scientific team was called back to Sainte-Marie by the PRÎSM to train the team at level 2 for the identification of underwater organisms.

From January 2020, transects are carried out on the basis of 175 fish species and the genus of corals.

(To read PRÎSM’s scientific reports, contact Jean or go to the Bora Dive and Research website)