On behalf of the organizers of the Symposium, WIOMSA, Sustainable Seas Trust, and the Nairobi Convention, I am pleased to invite you to the 12^th WIOMSA Scientific Symposium that will be held from 10^th to 15^th October 2022 at the Boardwalk Convention Centre in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa as a hybrid event with both virtual and in person attendance

The WIOMSA Symposium, the largest open scientific conference in the region on marine and coastal issues, is a triennial event that has established itself as an intellectual and knowledge marketplace that offers a unique regionwide platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, capacity building, strategic action, and cooperation. WIOMSA uses the symposium as a platform to showcase innovative solutions for addressing the challenges facing coastal communities, policymakers, management authorities, and the private sector in the Western Indian Ocean.

It is expected that this year’s symposium, will bring together leading researchers, academics, scientists, policymakers, practitioners, and students to present the latest research findings in all aspects of coastal and marine science.

The theme for the 12^th WIOMSA Symposium is “A New Decade of Western Indian Ocean Science” which has drawn inspiration from the current  global and regional goals including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, the Decade of Ocean Restoration, as well as regional goals (e.g., Nairobi Convention COP 10) and the most recent advances in the ocean and climate science.

The 2022 WIOMSA Symposium aims to mobilize the WIO marine and coastal community behind the ideas of sustainable development and serves to focus the research and technological development in ocean science on existentially important issues of protection and sustainable use of the ocean. It also intends to strengthen regional collaborations among scientists and stakeholders in initiating and cooperating on the co-design of transformative ocean scientific solutions to the Ocean Decade Challenges.

The 12^th WIOMSA Symposium offers a comprehensive programme featuring various advances in coastal and ocean science and governance, institutional and regional efforts to attain the sustainable development goals, as well as presenting new approaches, innovative technologies, and best practices that may be helpful in addressing some of the persistent and emerging challenges in the WIO region. The programme includes keynote presentations, oral presentations, specially convened sessions and round table discussions, mini-symposium and poster sessions.

We have set aside 12^th October for the Sixth WIOMSA General Assembly from 08h30 – 14h00.

We hope that WIOMSA members will attend in their numbers!

We are particularly excited to have South Africa, hosting the 12^th WIOMSA Symposium. South Africa is a country with a fascinating cultural mix, a rich history, home to some of the world’s iconic cities, and landmarks, and unique and authentic experiences.   

Dr. Jacqueline Uku
WIOMSA President