Serge Melesan

How Mayotte’s Tire Race Reveals a Broken Waste System

In Mayotte, a traditional children’s game using discarded tyres has become a striking symbol of a much deeper problem: a waste system that leaves fragile islands to manage what the rest of the world discards.

The Invasion of the Lionfish: A Silent Marine Crisis

In the tropical waters of Mayotte, the striking yet venomous lionfish has become a sign of deeper reef imbalance, thriving on weakened coral ecosystems in an increasingly disrupted ocean.

Between Species and Worlds — The Hybrid Dolphins of Mayotte

These dolphins, born from two different species, reveal the resilience and complexity of life in the Indian Ocean and offer a rare window into evolution and coexistence.

The Aye-Aye Paradox — Between Preservation and Economic Pressures

In eastern Madagascar, the mysterious aye-aye embodies the delicate balance between conservation and economic survival, community transformation, resilience and hope.

This story has been featured in:

Guardians of the Lagoon — Mayotte’s Green Sea Turtles

Mayotte’s green sea turtles are graceful gardeners of the lagoon, whose survival reflects the health and future of the ocean.

White Silence — Mayotte’s Lagoon Is Bleaching

A once-vibrant coral sanctuary is turning pale. Through my lens, Earth.org explores the bleaching of Mayotte’s lagoon — a fragile ecosystem facing rising heat, storms and human pressure.

Mayotte’s Ocean Heritage — And the Chance to Change Everything

This article explores the extraordinary biodiversity of Mayotte and the local efforts to protect it, from sea turtles to community-driven conservation.

In Mayotte, Young People Learn to Know the Sea in Order to Protect It

In Mayotte, young Lagoon Ambassadors discover the marine world that surrounds them, learning that protecting the ocean begins by knowing it.