Mamy Rakotonandrasana

A Malagasy environmental activist leading coral reef conservation initiatives in the Indian Ocean, her work has significantly impacted marine biodiversity preservation post-2020.

Mamy Rakotonandrasana is a visionary environmental scientist and community organizer from Madagascar, renowned for pioneering coral reef restoration projects in the Indian Ocean. Since 2020, her organization Madagascar Reefs Initiative has planted over 500,000 coral fragments across critically endangered reefs near Nosy Be. This work directly combats the effects of climate change and overfishing, restoring habitats for over 1,200 marine species including endangered hawksbill turtles and clownfish populations. Her innovative 'community coral nurseries' model empowers local fisherfolk through eco-tourism ventures and sustainable fishing practices, creating 300+ jobs while reducing destructive practices by 40% in project areas.

Rakotonandrasana's global impact extends through partnerships with Reef Life Society and UNESCO's Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park initiatives. Her 2022 TED Talk "Rebuilding Oceans from the Coral Up" has garnered 2.3 million views, inspiring similar projects in Seychelles and Comoros. Scientifically, her team's research published in Nature Sustainability (2023) demonstrated how coral transplantation can sequester 3x more carbon than traditional methods.