The Association of Coastal Conservation of Mozambique (ACCM) is a non-profit organization created to develop scientific research and coastal conservation projects in Mozambique, particularly in Zavora region.
Zavora Marine Lab. (ZML) is ACCM Research Department which works in partnership with Iemanja. Iemanja runs an internship program especially designed to ensure the sustainability of our research, as well as, to give opportunity for science students and marine conservationists to engage in real world research and make a difference by effectively contribute to our projects.  Together ACCM and Iemanja has promoted conservation, education and research in Zavora.
Our projects vary from pure scientific research (e.g. nudibranch taxonomy) to more applied research (e.g. diver impacts and management), as well as environmental education and practical conservation activities (e.g. beach and underwater clean up, awareness campaigns, etc.). The results of our studies is been used by stakeholders to assist coastal management.

        

       

    

Yara is the president of ACCM. She studied Ecology in Brazil and moved to a small fishing village in Pernambuco to work with reef conservation and coastal management. She then travelled to Australia where she completed her Masters degree and became Reef Check Instructor of Instructors. She assisted in several research in the Great Barrier Reef and collaborated with projects in Brazil and Mozambique.  After doing a study on impact of diving tourism in Mozambique, she fell in love with the country and decided to stay to start a much needed research and education center in Zavora, Inhambane Province. She found the Association of Coastal Conservation of Mozambique and the Zavora Marine Lab. Since 2009 she has coordinate research and conservation projects in Zavora.



Sarah Bruck
Sarah grew up by a Norwegian lake, and was usually the first kid splashing around in the freezing lake when the ice eventually dissolved after winter, hunting for baby-fish to put in her fish bowl. Since then her love for  marine life has grown, as much as her tolerance to cold water has decreased (she would wear a wetsuit in the bath tub if she could..!). Sarah started diving in Ecuador whilst travelling around South America. Here she saw a juvenile humpback whale on scuba, let out a squeel of joy and decided she was going to be a DM to be able to spend as much time as possible under water with these amazing animals. Sarah is now the vice-president of ACCM and works permanently as a research assistant for Zavora Marine Lab.



Jon Wright
Jon is our main diver supporter. He began diving in 1991 in the cool waters of Southern Ireland. He became a PADI instructor in 2004 and an IANTD technical instructor in 2008. His passion is exploration and technical diving, both in the sea and fresh water caves. He started Mozdivers Zavora in late 2008 and has been instrumental in opening up an undiscovered part of Mozambique to the diving public. Having an intimate understanding of both the sea and diving practices, he is a committed conservationist and founder member of The Association of Costal Conservation of Mozambique. Jon has a wide range of skills and qualifications relevant to the organizing and running of diving exploration projects, including experience building and installing gas blending stations. He has made somewhere in the region of 3000 dives in a wide variety of conditions and locations and is always prompt to help our projects!

Dr. Yonow is our opisthobranch expert colaborator. She studied ophistobranch for over 20 years and is the author of Sea Slugs of the Red Sea. Dr. Yonow has discovered more than 13 species. She was the first expert that we contacted when the project was only an idea, we are very glad that she has always motivated us. Even though she is not physically here in Zavora to help with our work, we are able to make use her expertise by mailing our numerous pictures for suggestions and corrections of our species analysis.

Dr. Cervera is Profesor Titular of the University of Cadiz (Spain). He is also our opisthobranch expert collaborator and Yara's supervisor. He studies the Opisthobranch Molluscs from more than 25 years ago. His mainly interested is Taxonomy, Phylogeny, Phylogeography and Ecology of this group.  We are extremely glad for all his help and supervision.