SONOMAY 2022 - 2024

Departure at sea with a tripod for the seabed of Mayotte

In collaboration with the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) through the Mayotte Marine Natural Park (PNMM), we implement Passive Acoustic Monitoring on Mayotte coral reefs over the period 2022 - 2024.

In Mayotte as elsewhere, coral reef monitoring is based until now on snapshot visual surveys carried out in situ by biologist divers. However, these visual assessments are biased by the subjectivity and degree of expertise of each observer, and by water turbidity variations. Variations in the time of day, lunar phase or season of the surveys are additional biases.

SONOMAY (Soundscapes of Mayotte) is an applied research project that aims to develop a new approach, Ecoacoustics, as a management tool for the coral reefs of the PNMM.

The project proposes the punctual acoustic monitoring (continuous recording over 24 hours) of 43 sites usually monitored by a snapshot visual method, and the comparison of the respective contributions of the two methods. It also proposes to implement the continuous monitoring of 4 sites of interest in order to develop this long term approach and initiate the response to certain management issues of the PNMM.

continuously monitored sites over 1 year

continuously monitored sites over 24 hours

SONOMAY has four objectives

Diver enclosing the tripod to the reef

SONOMAY fall within several management orientations of the PNMM

  • Make Mayotte attractive for research and develop local skills
  • Know habitats and species to improve their conservation and their socio-economic valorisation
  • Know the activities and their proven or potential impacts
  • Adapt fishing pressure to the available reef resources
  • Protect the functional halieutic areas
  • Guarantee the good state of conservation of coral reefs

The mission in pictures

Others achievements

Departure at sea with a tripod for the seabed of Réunion
Reunion Island

Ecoacoustic reference state of coral reefs around Reunion Island in 2022.

Descent of a tripod into the seabed
Guadeloupe

Passive acoustic monitoring of coral reefs around Guadeloupe Island from 2023 to 2024 in collaboration with the Office de l'Eau de Guadeloupe.