Key Activities

The first convening of the LaSMMI project took place in Zanzibar in October 2024 and brought together WIOMSA, Pew, University of Southampton, IUCN and country research partners to establish a common platform, foster engagement, clarify roles, and build linkages.

Pew and Partners submitted a collaborative paper regarding the importance of seagrass at the Nairobi Convention Science to Policy Platform Meeting in Mozambique and supported the adoption of important decisions to further safeguard seagrasses at the Nairobi Convention 11th COP including the development of a regional seagrass strategy, vision, and action plan.

LaSMMI was officially launched in March 2025 in celebration of World Seagrass Day - Press Release

LaSMMI supported the Regional Seagrass Strategy Development Session at the 13th WIOMSA Symposium in September 2025

LaSMMI field work is undergoing in all countries. Check out this post from our research partner in Kenya - Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute - highlighting some of the field work undergoing in the Western Indian Ocean region.

LaSMMI is now on LinkedIn—join our group to receive news fresh out of the oven!

Listen to what our experts have to say about seagrass and LaSMMI ! Q&A with experts

LaSMMI at the 13th WIOMSA Symposium in Mombasa, Kenya

Ahead of the WIOMSA Scientific Symposium in Mombasa, Kenya in September 2025, the LaSMMI team convened a half‑day coordination meeting to strengthen collaboration and align priorities for 2025–2026. The meeting brought together seagrass researchers and policy partners from across the Western Indian Ocean—including Kenya, Tanzania (mainland and Zanzibar), Mozambique, and Madagascar—alongside representatives from the Pew Charitable Trusts, SeyCCAT, WIOMSA, and the University of Southampton, as well as policy partners within each country.

Participants reviewed country progress, shared updates on fieldwork and data processing, and discussed how regional seagrass mapping can better support national policy priorities, including commitments under Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). A strong emphasis was placed on regional learning and on linking scientific outputs with practical management and policy processes to maximize impact.

The meeting reaffirmed LaSMMI’s role in advancing a coordinated, science‑based approach to seagrass conservation across the Western Indian Ocean.

During the WIOMSA Symposium, LaSMMI also supported a Special Session to inform the development of a Regional Seagrass Strategy, helping partners come together around a shared vision for the future of seagrass management in the region.

Regional Blue Carbon Science-Policy Workshop in Seychelles