Blue Ventures
“Rebuilding ocean life through community power.”
Blue Ventures empowers coastal communities to rebuild fisheries and restore ocean life.
Founded in Madagascar in 2003, the organisation now supports local conservation initiatives across the Indian Ocean and beyond — including Belize, Mozambique, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, and other coastal regions where marine biodiversity and community livelihoods are deeply connected.
Their work combines science, traditional knowledge, and social enterprise to create lasting change from the village shore to the global stage.
About Blue Ventures
Blue Ventures is a social enterprise founded in 2003 to rebuild tropical fisheries with coastal communities. What began as a small marine-research initiative in southwest Madagascar has grown into a global movement empowering coastal people to restore and protect their marine resources.
Their community-based approach focuses on people first — supporting local leadership, traditional knowledge, and sustainable livelihoods as the foundation for ocean recovery.
Our Impact
Over 20 years of pioneering community-led marine conservation across five continents.
Support for 500+ coastal communities to manage their own marine areas.
Creation of Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) covering more than 20,000 km² of ocean.
Integration of blue carbon, sustainable fisheries, and marine protected areas for lasting ecosystem health.
Training, research, and partnerships that inspire replication of community-driven conservation worldwide.
Blue Ventures -
Current Programs & Initiatives
Rebuilding Fisheries: Supporting coastal communities to manage and rebuild their fisheries through local governance and sustainable practices.
Mangrove and Blue Carbon: Protecting and restoring mangrove forests as vital blue carbon ecosystems.
Community Health and Conservation: Integrating healthcare and family planning with conservation to support thriving coastal societies.
Marine Protected Areas (LMMAs): Establishing and scaling Locally Managed Marine Areas across the Indian Ocean and Caribbean.
Sustainable Aquaculture: Promoting low-impact aquaculture that provides income while preserving ecosystems.
Climate Resilience: Helping communities adapt to the effects of climate change through coastal restoration and resource diversification.
Volunteers
Blue Ventures welcomes volunteers to contribute to marine conservation through hands-on field programs.
Volunteers work alongside local scientists and communities in Madagascar, Belize, and Timor-Leste, supporting reef monitoring, data collection, education, and community outreach.
Each placement directly supports Blue Ventures’ long-term conservation goals while giving participants an authentic experience of community-led marine protection.
🌍 Learn more or apply: blueventures.org/volunteer
