Seagrass Restoration Guidelines for Tanzania. WIOMSA Book Series No. 19.

Abstract

Seagrass restoration is generally a challenging undertaking, and it is in its infancy stage in Tanzania and the Western Indian Ocean at large. These guidelines, the �rst seagrass restoration guideline in Tanzania, come at the right time, as stakeholders, including seagrass experts, policy makers, NGOs, local communities and the public at large, are turning to restore the lost seagrass meadows in various areas along the coasts. The guidelines offer a wealth of background information on the seagrasses of Tanzania, speci�cally on the species composition, distribution, zonation and area coverage. This information is important to stakeholders during restoration in understanding what species they are dealing with and their suitability in the selected restoration sites. Further, the background provides information on human activities that threaten these valuable habitats, the activities which, if not controlled, can exacerbate seagrass decline as well as interfere with the success of the restored seagrasses. Additionally, the guidelines provide the rationale for seagrass restoration and outline the steps to be followed to ensure a successful seagrass restoration. The guidelines are presented clearly and concisely, with helpful visual aids to ensure users can easily understand and follow the procedures. These guidelines are designed for a broader audience involved in coastal resource management, particularly those concerned with seagrass protection in Tanzania. They may include local communities, researchers, students, nongovernmental and community-based organisations, and government resource managers. These guidelines, though compiled based on experiences of Tanzania coastal environments, contain useful information that can be applicable in other countries with similar coastal environments. The preparation of these guidelines was not done single-handedly. It is a collaboration effort of seagrass experts from Tanzania and beyond. I am pleased to recognise the valuable contributions made by the excellent team of scientists who participated in the MASMA ‘Ecosystems Based project’, as well as the renowned seagrass experts from the WIO region throughout the preparation of these guidelines. I sincerely hope that these guidelines prove to be valuable for stakeholders in effectively planning and implementing seagrass restoration projects in Tanzania and beyond.