Job title: Restoration Field Officer
Supervisor: Project Manager and Scientific Restoration Advisor
Duty Station: Tanga, Tanzania.
Start Date: June 2024

Background:

Mwambao Coastal Community Network was established in 2010 to help communities in Tanzania’s coastal areas develop strong and effective local resource management systems that support livelihoods and sustain marine ecosystems. Mwambao employs a human-rights based approach and works to empower local communities and enable them to learn from each other through a community-based network spanning different coastal areas and communities. The network structure fosters learning as well as collective action on shared interests such as influencing policy.

Mwambao has emerged as a leading actor in facilitating community-based marine management in Zanzibar as well as in north-eastern Tanzania working with a number of key international partners whose relationships need confident and sensitive mentoring. The team has expanded significantly in recent years in terms of funding, geographical spread, and diversity of approaches. Mwambao currently has 63 full-time staff and established offices in Tanga, Pangani, Pemba Island and Unguja Island Zanzibar. Mwambao is currently engaged in a 4-year

Blue Action Fund project that aims to build the marine co-management capacity of MCHOMAPUNDA CFMA. The work proposed here is designed to supplement and complement that project and in particular focus on the restoration of coral reef and mangrove habitats as well as focused livelihood restoration activities that are designed around access to eco-credit and value-addition for marine-based products.

Mwambao is seeking a full-time Restoration Field Officer to join the implementing core restoration team also ensuring community facilitation, and compliance with restoration planning under the direct supervision of Mwambao’s Reef Restoration and project manager. The work will be carried out in the Chongoleani peninsula which covers all communities based in the MHOMAPUNDA Collaborative Fisheries Management Area (CFMA) which encompasses 5

Beach Management Units (BMU) under the project entitled ‘Biodiversity Offsetting and

Livelihood Restoration for communities of the MCHOMAPUNDA Community Fisheries

Management Area’ with majority funding by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project

II. Overview of the role
Overall, the project aims to address biodiversity offsetting and livelihood needs while promoting sustainable practices and resilience in the targeted communities. The EACOP project will cover communities located within the area of influence of the EACOP project (AOI) on and off shore from mainland Tanzania’s Tanga region coast. The project goals are Livelihood Development, Increased Climate Change Resilience, and Ecosystem Reinstatement through increased capacity for sustainable community-led marine co-management in five communities within the MCHOMAPUNDA CFMA, Tanga by 2027. Additionally, the proposal aligns with the Scope of

Work issued by EACOP on April 17, 2023, which aims for Improved Governance within the MCHOMAPUNDA CFMA., Resource and Capacity Improvement, Coastal Ecosystem Restoration (coral and mangrove) and Livelihood Restoration for the CFMA communities impacted by the EACOP Project, including those in Putini, Chongoleani, and Ndaoya.

The Restoration Field Officer will join the implementing Mwambao team dedicated to EACOP project consisting of mangrove and reef restoration field officers, nursery maintenance staff (2), eco-credit officer (MKUBA programme liaison), and the value-chain support and co-management field officer. He/she will be supervised by the EACOP project manager based in Tanga and advised by the Chief Technical Advisor and Scientific Restoration Advisor. He/she will ensure coral reef and mangrove restoration activities are carried out as per the agreed weekly and monthly work plan, tracking daily progress using mobile apps and team progress towards objective achievements. He/she will have a key role in working closely with the communities facilitating implementation of restoration activities and planning as per the community based co management resource use plan. He/she will take part in all land and water based survey and restoration activities and needed ground truthed data collection.

The Restoration Field Officer will actively support and participate in the projects’s restoration components (corals and mangroves including in the context of Mkuba eco-credit programme), actively engaging with the local communities located within the project area. coral reef restoration and research activities, assist with the husbandry and maintenance of coral nurseries, and assist with coral reef restoration fieldwork including outplanting, monitoring, and research activities as needed.

He/she will operate and expand in-water coral nursery (farm, genetic pool), nursed coral species inventory, weekly monitoring of survival and growth to viable outplanting sizes for restoration purposes. He/she will deploy with the project core team and communities artificial reef structures including confirming site selection through community consultations, building, deployment.

He/she will directly report and assist the Project Manager and Scientific Restoration Advisor in supervising the coral nursery maintenance team. The coral restoration team will ensure coral opportunities collection, weekly cleaning, propagation of corals using asexual

(micro-fragmentation) methods, regular health assessments of nursery-reared corals, and in-water nursery structure maintenance, and coral outplanting as needed.

Similarly, he/she will operate and expand mangrove restoration sites, and tree nurseries (under the Mkuba eco-credit programme), weekly monitoring of survival and growth, seed collection and planting. He/she will work closely with the Mangrove field officers and other core team members to align on the communities restoration planning confirming adequacy of site selection through community consultations, ground truthing and daily data collection and entry. Other Mwambao senior officers and ecological data analysts will assist in all required data collection training methods, data entry and cleaning, analysis so as to report back to the communities. He/she will be in charge of purchasing necessary equipment, gear and vehicle rental (as needed) so as to achieve all activities in a timely manner.

This is a 5 year position based in Tanga, Tanzania.

III. Key Relationships

Reporting to: Project manager and Scientific Restoration Advisor

Key relationships within Mwambao-MCCC: Chief Technical Advisor, Environmental and Social

Management System (ESMS) Officer, EACOP Monitoring Evaluation and Learning officer

(MEL), Mwambao

Tanga Co-management Fisheries Officer, Tanga Programme Coordinator

Key relationships within EACOP team Tanga : EACOP Biodiversity coordinator, ESMS officer EACOP

IV. Roles and Responsibilities

The key roles and responsibilities are as outlined below:

Assist the Project Manager with all husbandry and nursery needs for corals and mangrove restoration components of the EACOP project as per the decided workplan.
Provide and supervise regular maintenance of coral tables/trees and coral fragments (removing algae from corals and crustaceans from supports)
Conduct regular coral health assessments (survival, bleaching) of all corals in the nursery and out planted on artificial structures and home reef
Meet coral propagation quotas as established by Marine Cultures and Mwambao’s scientific advisors (daily, weekly, monthly)
Provide and supervise regular maintenance of mangrove seedlings and saplings; identify potential mechanical threats to young trees survival
Conduct regular mangrove health assessments (survival, drying, disease) in restored sites and in nursery
Work closely with Mkuba officer and communities to meet mangrove quotas as established by work plan and loan schedule (daily, weekly, monthly)
Perform and supervise routine minor repairs of coral tables, trees, and other structures in the in-water nursery and mangrove tree nursery (as needed)
Produce and supervise coral cement discs or pins as needed for table coral growth
Construct, install, and maintain in-water nursery structures
Supervise, stock and maintain corals in in-water nursery on a regular basis
Conduct inventory of coral and mangrove nursery stock
Participate in ex-situ coral monitoring and collection activities as needed
Participate in nursery-reared coral outplanting efforts as needed
Daily and weekly data collection and upload using a mobile app
Assist the Project manager with the reporting including assistance in writing daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports as needed

Qualification and Experience Required:

S. or B.A. degree in fisheries, ecology, or natural resources management or related field OR those with a high school diploma who have substantial experience working in the diving industry and in coral/mangrove restoration
At least three years of relevant professional working experience in the WIO region
Understanding of, and sensitivity towards, the culture and livelihoods context of rural/local coastal communities in Tanga
A proven ability to work effectively without direct supervision but as part of a team
Very good in oral and verbal communication skills in both Kiswahili and English, with an ability to develop strong relations with both Government and community partners
A computer literacy (especially MS Word, Excel, and using the internet) and technical report writing in English
Ability to learn new skills quickly and accomplish tasks in buddy pairs after initial oversight from the project manager and scientific restoration advisor and consulting partners
Ability to meet daily requirements and deadlines set by the Project Manager
Ability to solve problems quickly and effectively
Proficiency working with Microsoft Excel, Word, time management app and video conferencing app
Ability to communicate effectively and work both independently and in larger teams
Ability to take and implement instruction and critical feedback
Ability to lift at least 60 pounds
Possession of a PADI (or equivalent) Open Water Certification
Preferred
Experience working in and familiarity with the concept of Ecosystem restoration and services including nature based solutions
Experience in coral restoration and nursing (coral collection, transportation, fragmentation, outplanting) procedures
Ability to identify WIO coral species to the scientific name at least genus : coral ecology basic knowledge
Experience in mangrove restoration and nursing (seed collection, transportation, planting)
Ability to identify WIO and local mangrove species to the scientific name, mangrove ecology basic knowledge
Boating experience if an advantage
Advanced dive certifications (minimum 50 validated logged dives)
Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.
Ability to see and hear; use arms and hands; handle objects, tools, and controls; and sit.
Ability to lift and move 60 pounds. Ability to dive safely if working in open water. ● Experience in underwater photography