Blue Africa
Evaluating Africa’s Marine Biodiversity, Carbon Sequestration Potential and Expected Livelihood Outcomes
The Blue Africa team seeks to ensure carbon storage efforts in African coastal and marine ecosystems are aligned with the needs of African people. By addressing key data gaps and empowering decision-makers, research synthesis will facilitate informed policy development that supports both ecological health and community resilience.
Africa’s coastal and marine ecosystems are vital for global conservation and climate mitigation goals, particularly through their role as “blue carbon sinks” such as mangroves, seagrass, and salt marshes. Despite the significant potential for carbon sequestration, existing initiatives often overlook the specific needs of African communities and ecosystems, leading to risks for biodiversity, livelihoods, and food security. This project aims to synthesise data on the carbon sequestration capacity of these marine ecosystems and assess their contributions to biodiversity and local livelihoods, while identifying critical trade-offs and co-benefits.
Through collaboration with stakeholders like the Future Ecosystems for Africa Programme, Conservation International, and UNESCO-IOC, the outcomes will contribute to national and regional policy frameworks, including continental and international policy discussions at UN climate change and biodiversity negotiations, promoting sustainable development within Africa’s blue economy.
The team is split into three working groups, with several members working across groups.
| Carbon | Biodiversity | LAF (Livelihoods, Adaptation, Food Security) |
| Project Team Leads | ||
| Laura Pereira University of Witwatersrand | ||
| Mike Olendo Coastal and Marine Resource Development (COMRED) | ||
| Ibukun Adewumi The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO/IOC) | ||
| Clea Abello University of Cape Town [Post-Doc] | ||
| Contributing Members for Each Workshop | ||
| Amanda Radebe University of Cape Town, Global Change Institute | Amanda Radebe | Alvin Jueseah University of Liberia |
| Amemou Yago University of San Pedro | Amemou Yago | Amemou Yago |
| Blandina Lugendo University of Dar es Salaam | Anusha Rajkaran University of the Western Cape | Amanda Radebe |
| Denise Nicolau International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) | David Obura CORDIO East Africa | Blandina Lugendo |
| James Kairo Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute | Denise Nicolau | David Obura |
| Juliet Hermes South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) | Jean-Baptiste Jouffray | Denise Nicolau |
| Kelly Ortega Cisneros University of Cape Town | Joachim Claudet Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | James Kairo |
| Kim Zoeller University of Witwatersrand | Juliette Jacquemont | Jean-Baptiste Jouffray |
| Loyiso Dunga South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) | Kelly Ortega Cisneros | Joachim Claudet |
| Lynne Shannon University of Cape Town | Kerry Sink South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) | Loyiso Dunga |
| Odirilwe Selomane University of Pretoria | Kim Zoeller | Juliette Jacquemont |
| Olusola Adeoye Coast2Deep – Sea Initiative, Nature Cares Resource Centre | Loyiso Dunga | Kelly Ortega Cisneros |
| Rashid Sumaila University of British Columbia & University of Pretoria | Lynne Shannon | Odirilwe Selomane |
| Tommy Bornman South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) | Odirilwe Selomane | Kim Zoeller |
| Edem Mahu University of Ghana | Rashid Sumaila | Lynne Shannon |
| Jean-Baptiste Jouffray Stanford Centre for Ocean Solutions | Samuel Akande | Rashid Sumaila |
| Juliette Jacquemont University of Washington | Stephanie d’Agata Universite de La Reunion | Samuel Akande |
| Maggie Reddy University of Cape Town, University of Galway | Randa Mejri Chemkha University of Sfax | Olusola Adeoye |
| Samuel Akanda Federal University of Technology, Akure | ||
BAOBAB synthesis research teams are supported through the BAOBAB project, which is jointly funded by UK aid through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands as part of the Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) research programme and Step Change initiative.
