Restoring Bagamoyo's mangroves and seagrass meadows

Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) Tanzania is a youth-led non-profit organization restoring ocean health while empowering coastal communities through conservation, climate action, and sustainable blue economy initiatives in Tanzania.

Our restoration landscape lies within the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa Biodiversity Hotspot, where mangroves and seagrass meadows continue to face degradation from overfishing, mangrove cutting, marine pollution, climate change, and unsustainable resource use. These ecosystems are critical for biodiversity, fisheries, shoreline protection, and carbon storage, yet they continue to disappear despite more than 3 million people in Tanzania depending on marine ecosystems for their livelihoods and wellbeing.

SOA Tanzania was founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic by young ocean advocate Ailars David after witnessing both environmental degradation and growing unemployment among coastal youth. We believe restoring nature and restoring livelihoods must happen together.

Through our community-led “Generation Restoration” movement, we work with youth, women, fishers, and local leaders to restore and protect marine ecosystems while creating sustainable opportunities through ocean literacy, restoration activities, and blue economy initiatives.

To date, we have supported the restoration and conservation of over 5,782.5 hectares of mangrove ecosystems, restored and supported more than 100,700 mangroves, restored seagrass habitats, and engaged over 800 youth and coastal community members in conservation and sustainable livelihood initiatives. Our landscape supports approximately 66,849 people while contributing to biodiversity protection, climate resilience, shoreline stabilization, and long-term blue carbon storage.

Our work goes beyond planting trees. We are building a generation that coexists sustainably with nature through stewardship, innovation, community action, and long-term ecosystem restoration.

We are looking for support that would help us strengthen restoration monitoring, expand seagrass restoration, support local nurseries, improve biodiversity monitoring, and create more sustainable blue jobs for coastal communities while scaling long-term community stewardship of marine ecosystems.

Learn more: mikoko yetu project - Soa Tanzania