Coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows are not three separate problems — they are one connected system. Nearly 50% of Tanzania’s coral reefs and mangroves have already been degraded or lost, and seagrass meadows are disappearing just as fast, often unseen. Action For Ocean protects, restores, and rehabilitates these critical habitats through community-centred research and hands-on restoration across all four seascapes: Tanga, Kilwa, Mtwara, and Dar es Salaam.
AFO has helped restore more than 8,000 corals across Tanzania’s coastline through PADI-certified community dive teams, including Tanzania’s first all-women dive team. Learn more about our coral reef restoration work →
AFO has helped restore 287,240 mangroves across Tanzania’s coastline through community-led, women-led nurseries. Learn more about our mangrove restoration work →
Seagrass meadows are a critical, often-overlooked part of the coastal ecosystem — and AFO’s dedicated seagrass programme is currently in development. Learn more about our seagrass conservation work →
By 2030, this work feeds directly into AFO’s broader restoration target: 20 square kilometres of marine habitat restored, achieved through trained local divers, women-led mangrove nurseries, and community-based habitat monitoring across all four seascapes.
When coral, mangrove, and seagrass recover together, the whole coastline recovers with them.
Tanzania’s critical marine habitats are coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows — interconnected ecosystems that support fisheries, protect coastlines from erosion, and store significant amounts of blue carbon.
AFO trains coastal community members, including Tanzania’s first all-women dive team, to become certified divers who build and maintain coral restoration frames, turning degraded reef sites into active restoration zones.
AFO works with coastal communities, including women-led mangrove nurseries, to replant and protect mangrove forests across Tanzania’s four seascapes, contributing to the 367,500 hectares of coastal habitat AFO has helped protect.
These habitats function as one connected system — mangroves and seagrass meadows serve as nurseries for the fish that live on coral reefs, so restoring one without the others leaves the recovery incomplete.
