The World Bank Mission team met with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of its support and implementation mission from the 15th to the 23rd of September 2024. The meeting was led by Mr. Jerome Bezzina (Task Team Leader, Sr. Digital Development Specialist), and included Ms. Anna Metz (co-Task Team Leader, Sr. Digital Development Specialist) along with Dr. Ibrahim Waheed (Project Manager), Mr. Ahmed Haleem (Communications Specialist) and Ms. Fathmath Shafa Hussain (Project Officer) from the D’MADD Project Management Unit.

The mission discussed preparing the passive acoustic monitoring pilot activity to be tested in the Rasfari reef restoration efforts. Dr. Waheed stated that the procurement process for the activity is almost at an end and is scheduled to begin within the coming weeks.

The EPA briefed that the ideal time would be in January as the weather would be calm. Initial preparation can begin early with online meetings with the consultants preparing for the fieldwork.

Passive Acoustic Monitoring uses underwater microphones to record environmental sounds and analyze reef activity. The pilot will establish a baseline from the healthy reef area and monitor the activity at the damaged parts of the reef to see how organisms are reviving. The D’MADD project intends to train as many personnel as possible to use this technology and extend to other reef monitoring efforts nationwide.