This Partnership Project, implemented by Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in cooperation with the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of Dar es Salam (IMS), aims to support the use of new and innovative digital technologies for policy-making in marine resource management in Eastern Africa. The overall objective is to provide information for improved handling of biodiversity data in East Africa, which includes providing and assessing as well as communicating data.

A focus of the project is on integrating data, in addition to raising awareness and capacities for exchange of data, building on existing experience. In doing so, the project will bring together stakeholders involved in marine biodiversity data handling to form a networking group, compile the most relevant data bases and assess the experience in sustainable data handling and sharing. Furthermore, the project will evaluate how new and innovative digital technologies can contribute to advanced integration of data from different sources and their overarching analysis.

Resulting from this partnership project, actors in the region will have an overview on experiences and lessons learned in applying new data technologies in East Africa and beyond. Consequently, capacities for data handling are strengthened and proposals for initiatives to implement new data technologies are developed.

Policy-makers are part of this work and have a better overview on new digital technologies, biodiversity data bases and can use the project’s policy recommendations on improving the handling of marine biodiversity data for relevant policy decisions. Thanks to the partnership project as well as the collaborative approach bringing together scientists and policy-makers, the project contributes to the sustainable management of coastal biodiversity and resources in East Africa.