After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Tourism, Iris has worked in the field of marine conservation for over 5 years, taking care of communications and marketing for various organisations; from the first dive centre in the world to achieve a WWF 4-star rating, to a marine conservation NGO in the heart of the coral triangle. Marine conservation and storytelling are her passion, and to educate people and spread awareness through compelling storytelling and writing is her goal.
As Communications and Media Manager, Iris makes complex issues like climate change digestible for the wider public and translates BCSS’s data and research into content that everyone understands.
Iris is based in Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia and often visits Mozambique, the United Kingdom and The Netherlands.
On the 20th of September, a mass stranding of unidentified krill or shrimp species occurred in the northern bay on Benguerra Island, adjacent to the BCSS field station, and other parts of the island. Thousands of carcasses washed up ashore,
July and August brought hundreds of spinner dolphins, a minke whale, ornate eagle ray, tiger sharks and, of course, numerous of humpback whale sightings. One of the most interesting encounters was a black marlin – an incredibly difficult animal to
In light of the global increase of greenhouse gases, blue carbon habitats been shown to play a crucial role in sequestering carbon dioxide, with experts stating that the most efficient carbon-storing habitats are coastal environments that support continuous plant production. Mozambique’s
Unique: 3D Maps of our Dive Sites via Seabed Beam Technology The dive center has curated a list of dive sites including coral reefs, deep pinnacles, shipwrecks and drop offs, afterthousands of hours of scientific surveys to assess the underwater
My time at the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies (BCSS) was nothing short of extraordinary, and I can confidently say that it was a life-changing experience. From the moment I set foot on the island, I knew that BCSS was
First Humpback Whale Sighting of the Season BCSS team encountered their first humpback whale in waters northeast of Benguerra on the 19th of June. The whale displayed spectacular behaviour, breaching multiple times while heading north. The sighting represents the start
While out for a dive in the Bazaruto Archipelago on the 27th of May, the team came across a very rare sighting: an endangered Ornate Eagle Ray (Aetomylaeus vespertilio). Marine Operations Manager Mauro Jije was conducting a routine research equipment
A major research project whereby BCSS is providing the research logistics & organizing the fieldwork, ReMoTURB, is facilitating learning about biogeochemical dynamics of the ocean in the Bazaruto Archipelago. It is also facilitating research on the correlation between chemistry and
BCSS has partnered with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) in the form of an institutional membership, supporting the organisation’s mission to promote marine science, conservation, education, and sustainable development of marine environments and its resources. As a
This article is written by Iris Uijttewaal, with contribution of Dr. Mario Lebrato. Extreme or catastrophic events in the natural environment are rare opportunities to study and understand ecosystems pushed to the limit. These occasions facilitate the understanding of how
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