Team
The faces behind the project
Core team
The people driving the project on the ground
Stella
Diamant
Diamant
Project Founder & Lead Researcher
Stella first worked in Madagascar in 2011 and fell in love with the country. A biologist with a MSc from Imperial College London, she saw her first whale shark in 2014 in Nosy Be and as a result decided to set up the project. Stella leads the project since its inception in 2016.
Léonce
Costika Fidiarisandratra
Costika Fidiarisandratra
Scientific assistant
Léonce holds a master degree in Biodiversity from the Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines (IH.SM). He oversees the permit obtention aspect and is collecting photo-ID data as a guide working for our partner operator.
Armel
Mahevitra
Mahevitra
Scientist
Armel did his thesis with us in 2023 as part of his masters in fisheries at IH.SM, and since is involved as an independent scientist to prepare his PhD thesis on feeding ecology.
Noel
Joamazava
Joamazava
Skipper
Noel is from Nosy Be, is in charge of our boat "Ad Astra" and ensures the smooth and safe days at sea.
Environmental Education (led by our partner Mada Megafauna)
Elina Sourisseau
Co-founder and coordinator of the MADA Megafauna association
With a technology degree in community project management and in anthropology. Elina co-founded the tourism project Les Baleines Rand'eau and later the MADA Megafauna association. She manages the association full-time, encompassing the Guardians of the Ocean project in collaboration with the MWSP
Diane Marie Perpétue Jaozafy
Pedagogic animator for the Guardians of the Ocean
Diane completed a training course with the MADA Megafauna association, which led to her being hired. She mobilizes, animates and raise awareness among the local population to promote the preservation of Nosy Be's marine environment. She provides a school program and organizes animations
Raïssa Betogny
Polyvalent assistant for the Guardians of the Ocean
With a master's degree in accounting from the University of Tamatave. Raïssa is a multi-purpose assistant for the Guardians of the Ocean project. She is also in charge of welcoming and supporting scientific volunteers, and assists the pedagogic animator for certain animations
Project Collaborators
Marion Martane
Admin advisor
Claire Eloy
Data Assistant
Romain Cariou
Website Designer
Justin Beresford
Data Scientist
Enora Barralon
Adoption manager
Clarisse Debatty
Videographer
Alizée Guimbaud
General help
Kate Waite
Trips organisation
Tsiafoy Randrianantoanina
Independent Consultant
Caterina Bosio
Mobulid research
Thomas Quehen
Guide and technician
Students
Mialisoa Andriatsarafara
Modelling the distribution of whale sharks in Nosy Be
Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines
Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines
Former students
Armel Mahevitra
Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines
Tsiafoy Randrianantoanina
Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines
Léonce Costika Fidiarisandratra
Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines
Alicea Lubbé
Rhodes University
Jacopo Fossati
Universta'Politecnica delle marche
Thanks to our previous volunteers and staff-both in the field and remotely !
Gérard Pesque
Thibault Ferrier
Remy Olivesi
Marie Gomes
Ludmilla Gatelier
Isabelle Pouyadou
Lisa Dugay
Laetitia Maneaud
Cécile Cour
Margaux Carrere
Sorya Chhim
Liselotte Neumass
Tessa De Froberville
Carolina Cossy
Sylvain Fougère
Morgane Mimoune
Perrine Vincent
Lina Marion
Emilie Delarue
Eloïse Guillaud
Inès Vernhes
Minaëlle Green
Audrey Botella
Laura Garcia
Rachel Eloy
Morgane Biret
Julie Chéron
Alizée Guimbaud
Nathan Beaufils
Yona Benahim
Jeanne Vanhecke
Laura Hoen
Emilie Chotard
Eugénie Assas
Tine Hollevoet
Lorrie Carassini
Noella Wai
Frédéric Barbotin
Tiana Haingo Andriamampionona
Vincent Bourdin
Mariana Perez
Marion Lovat
Robin Bally
Ingrid Richioud
Cédric Pfeiffer
Vincent Frasse-Mathon
Matthieu Bonhomme
Flore Meyerstein
Valérie Gagnolet
Guillaume Lechat
Amir Serhane
Laura Atchama
Simona Auteri
Marcel Caro
Magali Caro
Marie-Amélie Vidal
Romain Boucly
Mélina Lin
Agathe Gastaldi
Blaise Vincent
Juliette Eyraud
Amandine Pauvert
Tine Hollevoet
Alexandra Salmon-Lefranc Gennai
Chantal Dherbecourt-Solau
Fanny Floirat-Lohyer
Chloé Paré
Diane Bécu
Luna Payet
Raphaël Jarnias
Kelly Morvan
Mylène Richard
Carole Perrin
Fadia Al Abbar
Juliet Cussaguet
Mario Clemente
Florian Barnaud
Stéphane Gennai
Guillaume Bonnaud
Pierre Denneulin
Michaël Coconi
Arnault De Peretti
Jens Paulsen
Vincent Quiquempois
Joshua Rambahiniarison
Marc Sigrist
Emilie Delarue
Camille Boussioux
Jean Malo Frageul
Pauline Bernard
Lauren Dirrig
Maité Dufrasne
Antoine Colin
Sabrina Castro
Louis Delfarguiel
Delphine Brunet
Fanny Hensens
Karoline Fuerlinger
Maureen Darchy
Laetitia Maneau
Clarisse Debatty
Kelly Taurel
Nathalie Auffret
Mohamed Amine Attia
Stéphane Avril
On-site partners
Les Baleines Rand’eau
Partner Operator and Co-founder
LBR have been instrumental to the project, and have collected data for us in 2015. Since they support MWSP’s field season.
MADA Megafauna
Partner NGO
We collaborate with MM on both our volunteer and education programme, and have initiated together the "Guardians of the Oceans" movement on Nosy Be.
Safari Baleine
Partner Operator
Since 2018, we collaborate on the volunteer program with Fanja, Yasmina and Nahema from local operator Safari Baleine, who operate whale shark tours from neighbouring island Nosy Komba.
Cetamada
Partner NGO
Cetamada focuses on humpback whale research and protection, and together we are collaborating to provide operator training and amend existing laws protecting marine megafauna
Free Dive Nosy Be
Partner Operator
We collaborate with Free Dive Nosy Be, on freediving trips and volunteer training
Wildlife Conservation Society
Partner NGO
WCS is the leading organisation for shark conservation in Madagascar. Since 2019 we share our data to support local conservation initiaitves
Scientific Collaborators
Joshua Rambahiniarison
Research Scientist
CORDIO East Africa
Dr. Andrew Cook
Director
Resolve Sarl
Dr. Guillaume Caulier
Teaching and Research Associate
University of MONS
Mascarene Archipelago Elasmobranch Observatory
Megamove
Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre
University of Western Australia Oceans Institute and School of Biological Sciences
Mar Alliance
Ocean Tracking Network
Shark Project
ISRA
Manta Trust
