Andavadoaka is a small fishing village located on the southwest coast of Madagascar. It is located in the Morombe division of Toliara Province, 45 km south of the town of Morombe [3]. The village lies on the edge of a shallow lagoon protected from the open ocean by a series of fringing and submerged barrier reefs that support substantial coral growth, providing a vital resource base for local traditional and artisanal fisheries. Owing to the remoteness and isolation, these coral reefs are thought to possess a significantly different and higher abundance and diversity of species than other reefs in Madagascar. Andavadoaka is also home to the Vezo fishing people, who are known for their dependence upon the ocean.
Andavadoaka is one of the founding villages of the Velondriake locally-managed marine reserve, and won the Equator Prize[1][2], awarded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in 2007.
Blue Ventures, a UK-based non-government organisation, runs a research field site situated close to the village of Andavodoaka, aiming to improve the community. Biodiversity studies have found many hundreds of marine species in the waters in the area. These unique areas represent some of the most well developed coral reef systems in the Indian Ocean.
Satellite image, zoomable to discern individual buildings.
Location of Blue Ventures in Andavadoaka.