Our ocean is part of our history, our culture, our livelihood, and our economy. Who does not cherish the times spent with family and friends  at the beach, or the memories of learning how to swim, fishing vieilles rouges, catching some crabs, and snorkeling for the first time? Unfortunately, if we dig a little deeper in our memories and listen to our parents and  grandparents’ stories, we have to admit that the ocean has changed.

The underwater world does not thrive with colorful corals anymore, big carangues and cateaus are rare, and algae are taking over our lagoons. Even on beaches around

the island, we cannot find as many tec-tecs, coquilles bonheur, and crabs as our parents could. It’s not like it used to be. It’s not like what we would like it to be. The changes we  are witnessing in our lifetime are serious threats to our livelihood and economy and we tend to forget how reliant we are on the ocean.

Ocean’s health

Mauritiusis not alone in this situation. Around the world, there are passionate and dedicated people who are our oceans’ heroes. As citizens, our daily actions have a direct impact on the underwater environment, and taking simple steps can make a significant difference.

Solutions exist, and Lacaz Poisson is a series of articlesthat highlights them.Even though problems are global, local actions are often more effective. Each month, we will talk about a specific issue our ocean faces. By sharing success stories fromMauritius and around theworld, we will learn aboutsimple steps to improve ourocean’s health.

We can all be part of the solution. If everyone becomes engaged our corals will recover and fish will be abundant. Mauritians and tourists will be able to enjoy delicious seafood and exciting snorkeling. Finally, the barrier reefs that surround the island will keep protecting us from devastating cyclones.

Stay tuned for our monthly challenge that enables the winner to be featured in the next article! This week, we would like to show you one of the wonders that our ocean hides. This little blue angel, or blue dragon (see picture), was found on the beach in Poste Lafayette last month. If we respect our ocean, we might see more of these. Can you find out the name of this creature?

Please send us the answer together with an interesting fact about it to lacaz.poisson@ lexpress.mu. The winner will be featured in the next article in l’express.

Email us with ideas, questions, and suggestions at lacaz.poisson@lexpress.mu.