"Window to the past, door to the future"

Using the coelacanth as an icon, ACEP is exploring the western Indian Ocean to promote the wise collective management of marine resources, sustainability and an improved quality of life for all countries involved. Little is known about the deep water ecosystems of this region.

Much has been achieved since its launch in 2002. ACEP has grown from its initial two-country partnership to include Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Reunion, Seychelles and Tanzania. From its humble beginnings focusing solely on conservation of the coelacanth, the programme is now poised to become a major initiative for Africa which is globally competitive and which builds capacity in a variety of scientific disciplines. The programme has taken advantage of the unique opportunity it represents for South Africa - and its partners in Africa - to lay the foundation for a project that should ultimately become a world leader in developing scientific excellence in offshore marine research that will work for humankind.

ACEP has a biophysical, process-orientated approach to its science, using the coelacanth as the unifying animal, and the south Equatorial Current and its branches to the north past Tanzania and Kenya, as well as to the south through the Mozambique Channel, as the unifying force.  It has a focus on existing and prospective marine protected areas, and coelacanth ecosystems.

The physical, chemical and biological sciences are integrated within Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in a manner that will lead to an understanding of the processes that sustain the western Indian Ocean. ACEP is developing a socio-economic and indigenous knowledge sub-programme. Science is taken to the schools and public by ACEP's strong environmental education and learner programmes as well as its communications and public awareness sub-programme.

• Developed a multidisciplinary, biophysical scientific programme that harnesses engineering and technology
• Integrated the research, capacity building, educational and public awareness sub-programmes of numerous South African institutions
• Developed a New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)-aligned initiative in science, capacity building, environmental education and public understanding (steps are being taken to register ACEP as a formal NEPAD programme)
• Developed National Management Committees (NMC) in each partner country.
• Convened Regional Management Committee (RMC) meetings involving all partner countries
• Achieved international acclaim and support in Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Europe (Belgium, England, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway), Canada and the USA
• Benefited from a collaborative partnership with Germany, which provided the submersible Jago and its experienced team.
• Positioned itself competitively for major GEF and other multi-lateral, bilateral and NGO funding to be built on South African core resources
• Made outstanding discoveries in physical and biological sciences
• Promoted research and development of technology and engineering associated with underwater research
• Captured the imagination of the public in South Africa, elsewhere in Africa and internationally beyond Africa
• Encouraged the youth of South Africa and several of our partners to enter the sciences and seek careers in marine sciences and other ship board activities.
• Hosted an international conference
• Developed a partnership with Ireland on state of the art stable isotope analysis
  Developed a partnership with the Canadian Centre of Excellence on Biotelemetry (University of British Columbia)
• Developed a partnership with Deep Ocean Exploration Research (DOER) in the USA in terms of developing infrastructure and technology transfer associated with submersibles, ROVs and other underwater instrumentation.
• Held workshops in the Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania in GIS in environmental education, learner programmes and public awareness.
• Held a workshop on socio-economics and indigenous knowledge in order to develop a sub-programme in these disciplines
• Conducted seven scientific, capacity building and public awareness expeditions.
• Organised a major international information sharing and GIS workshop to promote regional data sharing between South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion and Mayotte, as well as GEF and other major programmes in the western Indian Ocean.