THE BCSS
TEAM
The Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies (BCSS) and its founder Nina Flohr care immensely for its people and the surrounding local community. We employ between 70-80% of our team from local communities, with the remainder joining internationally. Our multicultural research and management team, along with the station staff, come from all backgrounds and cultures. Above all, we take pride in our honesty, effort, and transparency.
MAINTENANCE
Adolfo Huo
Part of BCSS since August 2019, Adolfo began as a driver and maintenance assistant. Working closely with Chief Engineer Baptista, he has learned a great deal about mechanics. Adolfo’s favourite parts of his job is the opportunity to keep learning and the social aspect as he loves working in a big team .
CHEF
Ana Macurra
“I love that I get to wake up every day and come to the kitchen to do what I know best”. Ana is an experienced and passionate chef, who joined the BCSS team in September 2020. She enjoys working and sharing skills with Jose and Saquina, in the kitchen.
GARDENING
Arlindo Chauque
Together with Sergio, Arlindo is responsible for the gardens on the BCSS premises – from the vegetation to the food forest. Together they make sure the natural resources around the station are maintained and flourishing. Keen to continue learning, he also assists in the kitchen to prepare the garden’s harvests.
CHEF
Bento Zivane
Bento, joined the team in June 2025, to assist our growing kitchen output.
He has many years of experience working at the Kisawa and Azura Resort on Benguerra Island and he is very happy to be working in one companies of the Archipelagos Island again, this time for BCSS.
FINANCE & BOARD MEMBER
Bernard Mtengwa
Bernard brings a strong financial background in leadership, analysis, systems implementation and logistics management. He has vast experience in managing five star hotels and resorts for hotels, having worked on international brands such as Crowne Plaza and Intercontinental. His work has led him to living and operating hotel openings for Southern Sun Hotel in the Middle East and now Kisawa Sanctuary. Bernard holds a Master of Laws in International Business Law from the University of Cumbria.
HOUSEKEEPING
Chanoca Feniasse
Chanoca joined BCSS in April 2020, becoming part of the housekeeping team. In her first year she has learned from Susana, while teaching Susana new things too. They make a great team together and enjoy each other’s company.
DIVE INSTRUCTOR
Nelson Nhamussua
Nelson is highly qualified dive instructor with extensive experience in managing dive courses, expeditions, and guest interactions.
He plays a pivotal role in day-to-day diving activities, ensuring they meet the high standards of our operation. Nelson expertly divides his time between BCSS and Kisawa, ensuring that diving experience consistently adheres to our standards.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Ekaterina Kalashnikova
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.
MAINTENANCE
Orlando Zivane
Orlando is a skilled workshop technician with 8+ years of experience in maintaining and repairing. He specialized in carpentry, and has a proven record of accomplishment of improving workshop efficiency. Orlando has been working for BCSS since June 2025, and is looking forward for many more years in service of the Center.
SKIPPER
Francisco Massane
SAFETY
Feliciano Mucuane
A founding team member of BCSS, Feliciano is part of the security team. He is proud of the fact that when he’s on duty, no problems have occurred – and he hopes to keep it that way.
BOARD MEMBER & SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY
Dr. Ian Hudson
Dr Ian Hudson brings a broad background of leadership and practical experience from both the corporate and academic sectors. Ian currently serves as the Head of Environment at world leading mining company, Anglo American and he previously spent 15 years in leadership roles in oil, gas and private equity. He is a marine biologist with a PhD in deep ocean ecology and has remained active in this space since his early work at the National Oceanography Centre. Ian has served a variety of NGOs and conservation groups.
SAFETY
Joaquim Madame
Joaquim has been with BCSS since the launch in 2017. He enjoys having the responsibility of guarding the BCSS premises.
MARINE OPERATIONS & DIVING
Mauro Jije
Mauro manages all marine activities; from scientific dive expeditions to servicing scuba gear. He is a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor with 5 x scuba specialities, an experienced EFR instructor, INTED compressor operator and PADI equipment technician with more than 10 years of diving experience under his belt. His love for the underwater world started in childhood, and it was natural that he became a scuba instructor and teacher. As Marine Operations & Diving Manager he ensures that everything runs smoothly, from fieldwork expeditions to underwater research equipment maintenance.
SAFETY
Mario Zibane
Mario used to be a skipper, but opted for a career change and joined BCSS when the research station officially opened. He enjoys guarding the facilities and premises.
FOUNDER
Nina Flohr
Nina Flohr founded BCSS four years before launching sister property, Kisawa Sanctuary, embedding her passion for academia and research into the DNA of the luxury property. She is instrumental in creating the ground-breaking ‘Resort to Research’ business model that underpins BCSS, where the sharing of environmental intelligence facilitates long term research and financial support. Previously, Nina worked as Creative Director of VistaJet, focused on the branding and guest experience aspect of the private aviation business. Nina currently runs Studio NJF, a multi-disciplinary design studio born through the experience of creatively directing Kisawa Sanctuary.
DIVE INSTRUCTOR
Maria da Graca
Situated midway between Kisawa and BCSS, Maria da Graca is a highly qualified dive instructor with extensive experience in managing dive courses, expeditions, and guest interactions. She plays a pivotal role in the day-to-day diving activities, ensuring they meet the high standards of our operation. Maria expertly divides her time between both properties, ensuring that diving experiences consistently adhere to our standards.
STATION MANAGER & CHIEF SCIENTIST
Dr. Mario Lebrato
Dr Mario Lebrato has over 15 years of experience working at the interface of marine and environmental sciences, with expertise in oceanography, marine biology and ecology, chemistry, and data management. Mario holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Marine Biology from the University of Southampton (UK), plus a PhD from the University of Kiel (Germany). He has worked as a postdoc at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (USA) and has coordinated research projects for German and Chinese governments. Mario continues to contribute to the top peer leading journals, internationally.
GARDENING
Sergio Feniasse
CHEF
Saquina Mucuacuane
Part of the wonderful kitchen team since December 2020, Saquina enjoys cooking every day and making people smile. Equally she enjoys keeping the kitchen tidy and organised. She has learned much from the other BCSS chefs.
CHEF
Ricardo Huo
Ricardo Huo’s culinary journey began as a kitchen trainee, and he has since risen to the position of Chef, overseeing all culinary services for our staff and guests. Known for his exceptional professionalism and courtesy, Ricardo is committed to continually honing his culinary skills. He benefits from ongoing learning opportunities under the guidance of our two main on-site chefs, further enhancing his expertise in the world of professional cooking.
HOUSEKEEPING
Susana Massane
Susana has been with BCSS from the beginning in 2017, and managed the housekeeping on her own until Chanoca joined her in April 2020. They have worked closely together ever since, exchanging skills while making sure BCSS is kept clean and thoroughly sanitised.
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
Teodote Matimbe
BOARD MEMBER
Tobias Schramm
RESEARCH MANAGER
Dércio Maoze
Dércio is a marine scientist with experience in applied ecology and reef monitoring. He holds a degree in Marine Biology and is pursuing a master’s in Applied Ecology. His skills include environmental data analysis, species identification, and scientific writing. He contributes to understanding Mozambique’s marine ecosystems and supports research projects at the BCSS.
BOOKING MANAGER & ONSITE COORDINATOR
Celso Sardinha
Celso is a booking manager and onsite coordinator with experience in logistics, operations, and environmental projects in Mozambique. He oversees bookings, logistics, and onsite operations, ensuring seamless execution and high-quality service delivery. With a background in marine biology, he brings scientific expertise and operational excellence to his role.
MARKETING PARTNER
Kesia van der Merwe
Kesia van der Merwe supports BCSS as an outsourced Social Media and Design Partner. She manages the organisation’s visual identity and digital content, ensuring that BCSS’s research, conservation work, and field activities are communicated clearly and creatively across platforms. With a focus on brand consistency and meaningful storytelling, Kesia helps translate BCSS’s scientific impact into accessible, engaging content for a global audience.
MARKETING PARTNER
Evan Hamlyn
Evan is the outsourced Marketing Partner for BCSS, leading the organisation’s digital strategy, website development, and SEO. Through his agency, Legs Brands, Evan works closely with the BCSS leadership team to strengthen the organisation’s online presence, drive awareness, and support its mission through purposeful, data-driven marketing. He brings a multidisciplinary approach that blends strategy, creativity, and technical expertise to elevate BCSS across all digital touchpoints.