Today's adventures in Zanzibar were full of color, coral, and seawater. Our trip to the reefs of Mnemba was a slow and bumpy ride, but much calmer than the trip back on the dolla-dolla bus. The island itself is so exclusive the cost of one night at its resort is approximately $1,000. Apparently Bill Gates is a popular guest. What is most shocking though, are the island's no tolerance policies. Dr. Bryceson told us his previous knowldge of the island and its role as a natural resource for local fishermen. Traditionally, during storms, small fishing boats would paddle ashore to the nearest beach or island to wait out the storm in safety. However, with the recent privitization of Mnemba Island, fishers aren't allowed the same sanctuary. In some cases, fishers have actually been chased off of the beach and back into the storm with threats of violence. Working with the local community must be an integral part of every conservation effort because there are always people  and power involved.

Our snorkel exploring demonstrated the high biodiversity found in coral reefs and the complex ecosystems they support. We later learned of various symbiotic behaviors. Some crabs carry anenenemie on their shell to protect them from octupus, while clownfish cover themselves in anenenemie mucus so that they can make a home inside the anenenemie. The fish are not actually immune to its sting, they disguise themselves.

One of the major threats to coral reefs such as this one is dynamite fishing, which is most often practiced by urban fishers seeking quick and large returns. Small-scale fishers have attempted to oppose the practice, and often become injured in doing so. Some success has been achieved, however. Mbudya Island has made a lot of porgress in this regard (where we visited the first day of our trip). Dynamite fishing is exactly what it sounds like: tossing dynamite into the ocean to kill the fish. The practice is extremely destructive of marine habitats as well as wasteful. 90% of the fish kill is not wanted, either because of the toxic nature of the fish or the indesirability. Unfortunately, marine habitats can be easy to exploit like this, since people cannot always see or understand the extent of the damage they do. Through the practices and management of local users, the reefs stand a chance of being preserved and the locals can retain previous rights to the resource.