Marine Action Research - Conserving the wild side of Mozambique

About MAR

Marine Action Research (MAR) provides an opportunity for aspiring scientists and passionate conservationists to learn practical fieldwork skills, gain scientific scuba diving experience, and explore qualitative and quantitative data at the Zavora Marine Lab in southern Mozambique. MAR focuses on manta rays, sharks, humpback whales, nudibranchs, seahorses, and reef colonization through investigations of the marine life and coastal ecosystems of Zavora Bay. Zavora has an incredible amount of biodiversity and offers the opportunity to study these unique and charismatic species in one of the most beautiful and wild areas of southern Mozambique.

Manta Rays

Manta research aims to generate knowledge of the region’s manta ray populations and assist with their conservation in southern Mozambique.

Nudibranchs

Zavora Marine Lab is conducting the first assessment of nudipleura in Mozambique: solving a complex of species problems and describing new species.

whales

Humpback whales come to Zavora each year to reproduce and give birth. Land-based surveys and fluke ID help provide estimates of humpback populations travelling through the region.

Artificial Reefs

Of the 2 wrecks in Zavora, the newly sunken Rio Sainas [2013] provided an excellent opportunity to monitor the colonization of an artificial reef right from ground zero.

Seahorses

Together with iSeahorse, MAR aims to assess and monitor seahorse populations, trends, and threats in the Inhambane region.

Sharks

Visual surveys and baited remote underwater videos (BRUVs) are helping to collect baseline data on the elasmobranch species in the region.

Turtles

Five of the seven sea turtle species can be found in Mozambique. In Zavora, we commonly see 4 of these on our reefs, two of which are known to nest on our beaches.

Begin your adventure to the wild and remote coast of southern Mozambique

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About the Zavora Marine Lab

-24.513552, 35.193464 | Praia de Zavora | Mozambique

Research. Dive. Explore.

The Zavora Marine Lab was founded in 2009 by marine biologist Yara Tibirica to investigate and conserve the unique marine life and coastal ecosystems of Zavora Bay. Zavora is one of the last places in Mozambique where manta rays and other marine megafauna species can be found in high abundance. Marine Action Research offers the unique opportunity to study a marine ecosystem with little human impact and where much of the reef is still yet to be explored. The lab's ongoing research is focused on manta rays, sharks, humpback whales, nudibranchs, seahorses, and artificial reef (wreck) colonization.

Research mentorship
Limited group size allows for quality one-on-one guidance with a trained marine biologist during your internship or university project.
Competitive fees
Internship fee includes accommodation (self catering), all research dives (gear included), airport transfers, field trips, and theoretical and practical training.
Scuba diving
Mozambique has some of the best diving in the world. Expect to see manta rays, sharks, stingrays, whales, dolphins, and an astonishing diversity of macrolife
Community environment
Interns live together, work together and develop lasting friendships

OUR PARTNERS

The MAR Team

Nakia Cullain

Scientific Director, Marine Action Research

Nakia holds a MSc in marine biology from Dalhousie University. In 2016, Nakia founded MAR and took over as director of ZML, continuing and expanding research in the region while fulfilling her passion for the oceans.

Mornay Delport

Director of Operations, Marine Action Research

Mornay has had a passion for diving and conservation since childhood. Mornay oversees dive planning and safety as a certified NAUI Instructor, as well as manages general lab operations.

Yara Tibirica

Founder, Zavora Marine Lab

Yara is a diver, researcher and conservationist from Brazil. In 2009 she founded A.C.C.M. and the Zavora Marine Lab. She is our expert on nudibranchs in Mozambique and a main collaborator with MAR.

Corey Nevels

Research Assistant, Marine Action Research

Corey first came to Zavora in 2018 as an intern and dive master candidate after completing her Marine Science degree at Coastal Carolina University. She is now a permanent research assistant and an essential part of the team.

What our interns say

“I joined the team at Marine Action Research for a three-month internship to become a better well-rounded biologist and therefore a better wildlife conservationist. With the majority of my work being terrestrial, I was excited to expand my knowledge and diving skills with the talented and enthusiastic team at MAR. The work we did and the new discoveries we made far exceeded my expectations. Learning first hand about all the marine life was like stepping into another world and helped me create a better understanding of how ecosystems function on this planet. Through the research and data collection, I gained important knowledge and skills that you wouldn’t just get from reading a book or sitting in a classroom. Putting into practice marine research techniques and interacting with wildlife in its natural habitat is what made my time at Marine Action Research so important and valuable to my conservation career.”

Grant Baker

Poway, California (2018)

“MAR was a great complement to my social science major. Fun atmosphere, diverse learning opportunities, combining the best of an organized internship and travel adventure.”

Rohan Shah

Harvard University, United States (2016)

“I joined MAR to complete an undergraduate research project on the nudibranch community in Zavora. Not only did I receive excellent scientific knowledge and support for my research, but also a caring and friendly atmosphere that made my time in this beautiful place even more special.”

Izzy Eady

Plymouth Univeristy, UK (2016)

“After a long journey, Zavora was a charming and peaceful home. The internship provided a spectacular chance to learn about and witness Indian ocean wildlife and has left me wishing I never left. Thank you, MAR. #NudiLife.”

Alex Megit

Dalhousie University, Canada (2016)

“Going to Mozambique to intern with Marine Action Research (MAR) has been one of the best decisions I´ve ever made in my life. For a month I was able to enjoy the vibrant culture of Mozambique while contributing to crucial research on marine megafauna and macrofauna. As a Marine Biologist in training, MAR provided me excellent scientific knowledge and allowed me to learn different research techniques and how to apply them. Mozambique is a magical, caring and friendly place that allowed me to learn, enjoy and create lifelong friendships. I will be back!”

Pily Del Riego

Seattle University (2017)

“Marine Action Research is the perfect learning experience for any up and coming ocean advocate. With a friendly atmosphere, a wide variety of experiences and skills, in the field, diving, and in theory, I highly recommend this internship. Thanks to Nakia and the team for an exciting, fulfilling and fun experience!

Brinkley Davies

Founder Balu Blue Foundation (2017)

“Spending two months in such a remote area of Africa has been one of the best experiences of my life so far. Being an intern at MAR hasn’t only shown me how an institute of this kind works, but also how small changes in the future such as the establishment of marine protected areas or protection of certain species need a lot of baseline work to be done. At the same time, daily data collection was so exciting that it didn’t feel like work at all. In addition to that, Mozambique is such an amazing place and living with the minimum, which is more than enough, and getting know the daily life in Zavora by meeting the local people was an incredible experience.”

Mikel Gutiérrez Muto

IMBRSea (2019)

“Interning at MAR was the perfect first post-undergrad research experience. Besides becoming completely hooked on diving, I gained a lot of experience in conducting marine research and collecting data. Everyone at the lab was extremely knowledgeable and it was a blast to work with and learn from them. I definitely would recommend this internship to anyone interested in diving or ecology!”

Mackenzie Stoeltje

University of California, Davis (2019)

Being an intern and part of the MAR team during the summer of 2019 was the most exciting and rewarding 2 months I’ve had. Working with and learning from such knowledgeable and passionate marine biologists was inspiring and gave me a great understanding of the importance of local marine research and conservation. The regular dives and daily data entry tasks were brilliant, especially whilst working with the awesome team. Zavora is an incredible place to live and the internship has given me such amazing memories and experiences.

Lara Hillyard

University of York (2019)

Get in touch

Drop us a line to learn more about partnering with MAR, student internships, or just say 'hi!'