As part of the International Year of the Reef (IYOR 2018), the DEAL Mayotte, the Marine Natural Park of Mayotte and the IRD have organized a day of awareness to do with the preservation of coral reefs and their associated ecosystems. With the assistance of the company Invent-oi, this event will be held at the cafe 5/5 Mamoudzou, Sunday, November 11 from 17H to 21H.
The event revolves around screenings of two documentaries:
- “Mareco” (2015), a 15-minute short film following a project to raise awareness about reef preservation in schools in Mayotte under the direction of the Research and Development Institute Meeting (IRD).
- “Chasing Coral, Climate at Risk Proof by Image” (2017), a 90-minute feature directed by Jeff Orlowski. As coral reefs gradually disappear in the world, a group of scientists and photographers embark on an adventure to help us discover the underwater mysteries.
In parallel with those screenings, several presentations are planned to initiate a discussion, with the public, around the importance of coral reefs :
- Pierre Bouvais, Marine Environment Project Manager at DEAL Mayotte, will present the French Coral Reef Initiative (IFRECOR) and the International Year Of the Reef (IYOR).
- Pascale Chabanet, Research Director and representative of the Research and Development Institute in La Réunion, who via Skype, will present the impacts of natural or anthropogenic disturbances on coral reef-associated fish populations in the Indian Ocean zone.
- Jeanne Wagner, Marine Natural Park of Mayotte, will speak about the main local activities impacting the reef of Mayotte. What are the alternatives? What protection and prevention policies can be put in place? What is the trend of coral reef health in Mayotte?
- Daniel Budet, Manager of the Nyamba Club and a member of the “Scuba Diving Service” association, will present his experience as a diver in Mayotte and explain his goals with the SPS association.