Isabel

Marques da Silva

Isabel Marques da Silva was born in Portugal in 1971 and studied Aquatic Sciences at O’Porto University. In 1995-1996 did a professional training in the Acquario di Genova, Italy. From 1997 to 2005 worked at the Oceanário de Lisboa where she worked with marine mammals, birds, sharks and fish, and plant collections. She did her Masters in ethology in 2003, with a final dissertation about “The impact of visitors behavior on fishes behavior in an aquarium”. In 2006 moved to Mozambique where she started as voluntary for the Zoological Society of London, at Vamizi Island, Palma, Cabo Delgado.  In 2007 started to work in the Vamizi Lodge as officer to communities and conservation. There, she started one of the first CCP (Community Fishing Council) and one of the first Community Marine Sanctuary in Mozambique with the community of Vamizi Island. Since 2009 she is lecturing in Lúrio University, Pemba, Cabo Delgado. Began the PHD in Aveiro University in 2012 with the title “Can co-management contribute to biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation? A case study in Northern Mozambique”

She dedicated the last eight year to the marine conservation in Cabo Delgado, especially to the co-management of fisheries and the development of the Vamizi Community Sanctuary

Her biggest passion is diving. She started in 1992 in the cool waters of Portugal, where she did a PADI instructor course in 2005. She has been doing underwater surveys, and she has been training young marine biologist in diving, but also other people from fisheries department and MICOA. In Vamizi Island she’s known as Kerera, the Snapper-the fish that never stops.