Rekindling Connections: conservationist Leads Marine Conservation Revolution on Cameroon’s North Coast

On the northern coast of Cameroon, a dedicated marine conservationist is reshaping local perceptions about the vital importance of marine life.

Dr Kamla Aristide, Cameroon’s ace marine conservationist and founder of the African Marine Mammal Organisation, is rekindling the seemingly lost connection between coastal communities and their aquatic neighbours. Through innovative outreach and education, Aristide is fostering a deeper understanding of the need to preserve marine ecosystems among residents of Cameroon’s northern coastline.

The northern coast straddles part of the southwest region of Cameroon and includes communities such as Idenau, Debundscha, Batoke, and Bota, all nestled along the Gulf of Guinea.

While Aristide’s environmental education program targets all age groups, he places particular emphasis on young people, whom he views as the “key to the future of conservation in Cameroon”. By collaborating with local schools, he is instilling a passion for marine conservation in students through engaging methods that include songs, poetry, and cultural displays. “To ensure the long-term conservation of our oceans, we must engage young people,” asserts Aristide.

Aristide believes young people hold the key to the long-term conservation of marine resources. Photo © AMMCO

Despite their daily interactions with the ocean, Aristide regrets that many young people in these coastal communities have limited knowledge about the species that inhabit it and their ecological relationships. Aristide is bridging this knowledge gap by utilising virtual reality headsets to immerse students in the breathtaking underwater world. “Giving them a glimpse of what lies beneath the ocean has sparked their love and willingness to protect the species in their waters,” he explains, adding that it has also increased their curiosity about the ocean.

With VR headsets, kids immerse themselves in the underwater world. Photo © AMMCO

But beyond the virtual reality experience, Aristide is working on establishing a dive center where coastal communities, like any other Cameroonians, will have the opportunity to explore and appreciate the beauty and diversity of marine life. “We have already conducted the feasibility studies in collaboration with the Nature Environment and Wildlife Filmmaking (NEWF) and SeaXplore, and everything is almost set for us to open Cameroon’s first dive center,” explains Aristide, also a National Geographic Explorer.

In 2024, Aristide in collaborated with Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers to organise the West African Dive Lab in South Africa as a precursor to establishing a Dive Center in Cameroon. Photo © NEWF

He is also collaborating with like-minded organisations to enhance his impact. Partnerships with local entities such as the Limbe Wildlife Centre and the Program for the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the Southwest Region have led to events that celebrate students who are making notable contributions to ocean protection. One such event, now an annual highlight, took place in early 2024 in Limbe, bringing together 2,000 students and teachers to honour young eco-warriors and their commitment to conservation.

Beyond engaging young people, the 2024 Winner of the Whitley Award for Nature recognises the crucial role of local fishers in preserving marine life. He has established a network of fishers who serve as ambassadors for environmental education, while also gathering critical data on marine mammal sightings through the Siren App, a citizen science platform he initiated in 2015. This innovative tool allows local fishers to record essential information—such as date, time, GPS location, species name, habitat, behaviour, and weather conditions—about marine mammals. The data is stored locally on their phones, uploaded to a server when internet access is available, and displayed on an interactive web map for easy accessibility.

Through these multifaceted efforts, Dr Kamla Aristide and his team are not only transforming the landscape of marine conservation along Cameroon’s North coast but are also nurturing a community that values and protects its rich marine heritage.