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DANIR 2024 | Our involvement 98
The responsibility and monitoring of the Shungimbili Further evidence of Thanda’s serious commitment
Marine Nature Reserve falls under and is run by the is that since 2017, they have their own marine
Mafia Island Marine Park. And since Thanda Island biologist, Rianne Laan, based on the island. Rianne,
was completed and began operations in 2016, park originally from the Netherlands, earned her master’s
rangers from Mafia Island Marine Park have been degree in biology from Wageningen University,
stationed on the island. specialising in marine biology. During her final
internship with the Reefolution Foundation in
The protection of the marine environment has Kenya, she worked on coral reef restoration, which
already begun to yield results, and the coral reef later brought her to Tanzania and Thanda Island. Her
ecosystem is slowly recovering. First, the fish popu- work focuses on monitoring the reefs in the island’s
lation has increased both in number and diversity. private marine reserve, educating guests, and taking
Since 2016, species such as the large and impressive them snorkelling on the reefs. She also runs a small
eagle rays and giant groupers have returned to the reef restoration project and collaborates with Ropes
reserve. A good sign that the work to recreate the of Hope on Mafia Island to share knowledge and
reef is paying off. experience, with the aim of expanding efforts in the
region and making a real difference.
Thanda Island
CORAL REEFS, THE RAINFORESTS
OF THE OCEANS
Coral reefs are living structures created mainly
by stony corals, or Scleractinians. The small coral
animals form colonies and secrete a calcareous
skeleton that forms the basis of the coral reef. How
a coral colony grows depends on which environme-
ntal factors, such as light, currents, sediments and
waves, it is exposed to. Therefore, corals of the same
species can look completely different depending on
where they grow. This contributes to a fascinating
diversity of shapes, colours and textures.
It is these physical structures that create habitats
for hundreds of species. And because of their high
biodiversity, coral reefs are often called the rainfo-
rests of the ocean. Although they cover less than
The reefs are once again full of life. Rianne Laan, Thanda Islands’ very own marine biologist.
