Katya is an accomplished non-for-profit professional and biologist with over 13 years of managerial experience in East Africa. She brings to BCSS a wealth of knowledge on legal and institutional compliance, operational and administrative management, and financial controls.
Besides her managerial skills, Katya has a strong conservation background possessing MSc in biology. Her professional aspiration is cetaceans research, and she has been collecting data on humpback whales’ ecology in Tanzania since 2017.
Cetaceans – whales, dolphins, and porpoises – are among the most iconic species on our planet. They are not only symbols of the ocean’s beauty but also indicators of its health. Yet today, they face more threats than ever before
If you’re dreaming about your next diving adventure, the Bazaruto Archipelago should be at the top of your list. Picture warm turquoise waters, coral reefs bursting with life, and manta rays sweeping through the current. You’ll also have the chance
The Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies (BCSS) is proud to announce its official inclusion in the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network. By joining GOA-ON, the BCSS GOA-ON partnership now shares vital long-term datasets from its Ocean Observatory Mozambique with a
We’re in DAN’s Alert Diver! We’re thrilled to announce that BCSS has been featured in the latest edition of Alert Diver Magazine — the leading international dive publication by Divers Alert Network (DAN). Titled “Into the Blue,” the article explores
A Biodiversity Hotspot in Motion Stretching across the turquoise waters of Mozambique’s coastline, the Bazaruto Archipelago is not only a marine paradise — it’s a living laboratory. This chain of islands, seagrass beds, reefs, and lagoons is home to an
In the clear, shallow waters of Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago, a quiet, slow-moving marine mammal grazes across seagrass meadows — a species many people have never seen in the wild, and one that could soon disappear without urgent conservation action. The
We’re thrilled to share that BCSS has been featured in the August 2025 edition of Air France’s in-flight magazine, EnVols — a beautifully written, in-depth piece by celebrated French author and journalist Christophe Ono-dit-Biot, with photography by Jean du Sartel.
A Healthy Ocean, A Powerful Partnership “Sharks are beautiful animals, and if you’re lucky enough to see lots of them, that means that you’re in a healthy ocean.” – Dr. Sylvia Earle This evocative insight captures the essence of Sophia Schmalzer’s
The innovative partnership between BCSS (Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies) and Kisawa Sanctuary has been spotlighted in the June 2025 edition of DAN Alert Diver magazine — reinforcing their position as leaders in sustainable dive tourism and ocean science. Kisawa
Photo credit: Humpback whale flukes. (Orlando Miranda + Salvador Colvee/BCSS) In 2022, a single photo taken off the coast of Zanzibar changed what we know about whale migration. The image — a clear shot of a humpback whale’s fluke — was