Meet us at the 13th WIOMSA Scientific Symposium

The BRIDGES research program will take part in the 13th WIOMSA Scientific Symposium, to be held from 28 September to 3 October 2025 in Mombasa, Kenya, on the theme “One Ocean, One Future: Connecting People, Policy, and Science for a Thriving Western IndianOcean”. This major event will bring together the Western Indian Ocean scientific community to discuss the pressing challenges of sustainable ocean management.

Many researchers involved in BRIDGES will contribute to the conference, sharing their work through oral presentations and special sessions. BRIDGES will also host an exhibition booth throughout the symposium – a welcoming space to meet and exchange ideas, where you can learn more about:

our scientific activities timeline for the next three years,
our research focuses,
our capacity sharing initiatives.

BRIDGES researchers will be present at the exhibition booth following a schedule, so that everyone can engage directly on specific topics (fisheries, governance, conservation, social-ecological systems, and more). This schedule will be shared soon on our social media channels.

The WIOMSA Symposium: a key event for marine science in the region

The WIOMSA Symposium is recognized as the largest gathering of marine sciences in the Western Indian Ocean. This 13th edition is already breaking records, with 1,190 abstracts submitted, 55 special sessions, and 32 mini-symposia.

The topics at the heart of the symposium resonate strongly with BRIDGES priorities:

Marine Conservation & Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), central to global protection targets such as 30×30,
Fisheries and aquaculture, highlighting sustainability and equity challenges,
Integrated coastal zone management, connecting community resilience and ecosystem health,
Ocean governance and policy, crucial for turning science into action,
Climate change and resilience, a pressing challenge for societies and ecosystems in the region.

By bringing together scientists, managers, policymakers, NGOs, and students, the symposium provides a unique platform to share knowledge, identify research gaps, and jointly build solutions for the future of the Western Indian Ocean.

We look forward to seeing you in Mombasa for a week of science, collaboration, and exchange!