Watamu Kenya: Mangrove forests that formed the ocean shoreline at Majaoni village along Mtwapa Creek in Mombasa County collapsed in the 1990s as towns grew and demand for building materials increased. As a result, the crabs, prawns and fish on this shoreline vanished.

Furry Ambari, the Community Environment Sustainable Mari culture, and friends joined forces to replant these mangroves and teach their communities on the need of protecting them. They have replanted six of the 18 acres of mangrove forests in the previous seven years. Ambari claims that their efforts are now bearing fruit, with crabs and gastropods recolonising the mangroves.

Mangrove habitats help local economies by providing fisheries, other food supplies, and coastal protection. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), each hectare of mangrove forest is worth $33-57,000 a year. They also remove up to five times more carbon from the atmosphere than terrestrial forests. Kenya has highlighted fisheries and aquaculture as critical industries in its efforts to revitalise investments in the blue economy. Kenyan scientists advocate investing in research and local communities to achieve success, as both are critical to conserving these ecosystems.

I spoke with Ambari, who told me about what inspired them, the hurdles they faced, the milestones they reached today, and how rising water temperatures are influencing their work.