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2 nominations from readers

• Marine biologists have been campaigning for marine reserves for decades, but struggled with the mistrust or disapproval of fishermen. Madagascar’s magnificent coral reefs are among the largest in the world but had no data on trends in the ocean populations. Since foundations were reluctant to fund his work without a PhD first, Al Harris decided to start an ecotourism business to enlist people to the collect this critical data as they were diving off of Madagascar’s reefs.

  Al turned the old paradigm of top-down marine resource management on its head by pioneering Blue Ventures—a social enterprise and bottom-up approach to marine and coastal conservation—which organizes expeditions of scientists and volunteers to carry out research and collect data for the purposes of conservation. Blue Ventures acts as a catalyst for local conservation by securing data and piloting efforts that have immediate economic and environmental benefit, and then handing off ownership to local leaders and fishermen to actively implement, manage and monitor conservation strategies. Al launched the world’s first community-run Marine Protected Area for octopus in 2004, which resulted in a significant increase in octopus fishing yields and mean size, increasing earnings of fishers. Within a year, the government of Madagascar used the project as a model to create seasonal octopus fishing bans across the country.

  Malagasy fishermen are increasingly convinced Al’s model of protected reserves will help maintain their livelihoods. In a country with over 5,000 kilometers of coastline and an estimated 60% of the population living along it—most of whom fish for a living—Al’s work has significantly expanded Madagascar’s capacity for biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource management. The community management and partnership in Velondriake’s development have provided Madagascar’s first potentially replicable blueprint for community-centered marine and coastal conservation planning.

  Nominated by Leah Fotis, 23 September 2009

• Marine biologists have been campaigning for marine reserves for decades, but struggled with the mistrust or disapproval of fishermen. Madagascar’s magnificent coral reefs are among the largest in the world but had no data on trends in the ocean populations. Since foundations were reluctant to fund his work without a PhD first, Al Harris decided to start an ecotourism business to enlist people to the collect this critical data as they were diving off of Madagascar’s reefs.

  Al turned the old paradigm of top-down marine resource management on its head by pioneering Blue Ventures—a social enterprise and bottom-up approach to marine and coastal conservation—which organizes expeditions of scientists and volunteers to carry out research and collect data for the purposes of conservation. Blue Ventures acts as a catalyst for local conservation by securing data and piloting efforts that have immediate economic and environmental benefit, and then handing off ownership to local leaders and fishermen to actively implement, manage and monitor conservation strategies. Al launched the world’s first community-run Marine Protected Area for octopus in 2004, which resulted in a significant increase in octopus fishing yields and mean size, increasing earnings of fishers. Within a year, the government of Madagascar used the project as a model to create seasonal octopus fishing bans across the country.

  Malagasy fishermen are increasingly convinced Al’s model of protected reserves will help maintain their livelihoods. In a country with over 5,000 kilometers of coastline and an estimated 60% of the population living along it—most of whom fish for a living—Al’s work has significantly expanded Madagascar’s capacity for biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource management. The community management and partnership in Velondriake’s development have provided Madagascar’s first potentially replicable blueprint for community-centered marine and coastal conservation planning.

  Nominated by Leah Fotis, 30 September 2009