How are the Zanzibar sponge farms benefiting the local community?

The Zanzibar sponge farms are providing a new and lucrative income source for local women, with some earning up to $30 per sponge. The project has also helped restore the island's marine ecosystems, which had been degraded by climate change and environmental factors.

What role do sponges play in Zanzibar's marine environment?

Sponges are beneficial to Zanzibar's marine ecosystems, as their skeletal structure aids in carbon recycling and their porous bodies naturally filter and purify seawater. Sponges also help restore coral reefs, which support 25% of marine life and are currently under threat.

How did the Zanzibar sponge farming project start?

The sponge cultivation project in Zanzibar was launched over a decade ago by a Swiss NGO called Marine Cultures. The project initially started with a pilot farm involving widowed women in the Jambiani village, and has since expanded into a cooperative as the market for eco-friendly sponge products has grown.

Home / Environment / Zanzibar Sponge Farms Revive Coastal Communities After Climate Change Upheaval

Zanzibar Sponge Farms Revive Coastal Communities After Climate Change Upheaval

13 Nov

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Summary

Sponge farming offers new income source for Zanzibar locals after seaweed farming declined
Sponges thrive in warmer waters, unlike seaweed affected by climate change
Sponge cultivation project empowers women, with some earning up to $30 per sponge

Zanzibar Sponge Farms Revive Coastal Communities After Climate Change Upheaval

As of November 2025, a sponge cultivation cooperative in Zanzibar has emerged as a lifeline for local communities, offering a new and sustainable source of income after climate change and environmental degradation devastated the island's seaweed farming industry.

Around 10 a.m. each day, women in Jambiani village wade through the turquoise waters to tend to their sponge farms, a practice introduced by a Swiss NGO over a decade ago. Rising ocean temperatures, overfishing, and pollution had steadily degraded the marine ecosystems, undermining seaweed farming, a key source of income for many locals.