Assess
Use scientific research, local knowledge, and partner consultation to understand ecosystem condition, social context, and conservation risk.
Program Design
Conservation programs built around Cambodia's coastal realities.
MRPO designs work around the places, people, and pressures that shape Cambodia's marine ecosystems: habitat condition, community knowledge, partner roles, field safety, financing, monitoring, and public accountability.
Overall Approach
Every activity should leave behind better habitats, better evidence, and stronger local capacity.
MRPO starts with the conservation problem, identifies who needs to be involved, then builds implementation around field delivery, monitoring, safeguards, communications, and continuity after the first activity ends.
Program RecordsDesign Framework
How MRPO moves from problem to implementation.
Design
Define objectives, target areas, activities, safeguards, finance needs, monitoring indicators, and GEDSI-inclusive participation pathways.
Implement
Deliver practical activities with communities and stakeholders, including restoration, protection, monitoring, training, and campaigns.
Learn
Track results, document lessons, improve methods, and strengthen institutional systems for future conservation programming.
Current Program Work
Practical conservation work that can be seen, documented, and improved over time.
MRPO's current program records focus on field activities with a clear conservation purpose: habitat recovery, ghost gear response, reef monitoring, partner missions, and public milestones that strengthen Cambodia's coastal and marine protection work.
Project
Current
Community-based mangrove restoration and ecotourism
COMET Implementation
MRPO is supporting the Community-Based Mangrove Restoration and Ecotourism project with ThinkAqua, linking mangrove recovery with local stewardship, education, and community benefit.
Partners: ThinkAqua and community partners
Purpose
To restore coastal mangrove habitats while helping communities participate in conservation activities that can strengthen local pride, environmental awareness, and nature-based livelihood opportunities.
Conservation Impact
Healthier mangroves can improve nursery habitat for fish and marine life, reduce coastal vulnerability, support biodiversity, and create a visible model for community-led coastal restoration in Cambodia.
Who Benefits
Coastal communities, fishers, youth, local authorities, visitors, conservation partners, and the wider marine ecosystems connected to mangrove habitats.
What This Includes
- Community restoration and stewardship support
- Local ecotourism and education opportunities
- Partner coordination with ThinkAqua
- Practical habitat recovery linked to community benefit
Activity
Current
Removing abandoned fishing gear from sensitive marine areas
Ghost Net Recovery
MRPO organises and supports campaigns to recover abandoned fishing gear, including ghost nets, from the sea so they no longer damage reefs, trap marine wildlife, or threaten safe fishing and navigation.
Partners: MRPO field teams, dive partners, coastal stakeholders
Purpose
To reduce the long-term harm caused by lost fishing gear in Cambodia's coastal waters and protect marine species, reef habitats, and community fishing areas from preventable damage.
Conservation Impact
Ghost gear recovery helps protect coral reefs, seagrass areas, turtles, fish, invertebrates, and other marine life while producing clear, practical conservation results that communities and partners can see.
Who Benefits
Marine wildlife, reef ecosystems, fishing communities, responsible tourism operators, local authorities, divers, and coastal residents who rely on cleaner, safer marine environments.
What This Includes
- Field recovery campaigns for abandoned fishing gear
- Safety-focused coordination with trained teams
- Documentation of recovered gear and affected habitats
- Public awareness around responsible gear management
Research
Current
Evidence for healthier reefs and better marine management
Coral Reef Monitoring
MRPO is working with partners to develop coral reef monitoring that can support marine protected area management, reef health tracking, and stronger conservation decisions.
Partners: Government, research, and conservation partners
Purpose
To help build reliable information on reef condition, biodiversity, pressures, and recovery needs so conservation actions are guided by field evidence rather than assumptions.
Conservation Impact
Better reef monitoring can support early detection of stress, inform management responses, guide restoration priorities, and strengthen Cambodia's ability to protect coral reef ecosystems over time.
Who Benefits
Government stakeholders, researchers, marine protected area managers, conservation NGOs, coastal communities, fishers, students, and future generations who depend on resilient marine ecosystems.
What This Includes
- Monitoring plan development with partners
- Reef health and biodiversity data collection pathways
- Support for evidence-based marine protected area management
- Research collaboration and knowledge sharing
Event / Mission
Planned
Submerged Ecosystems Recovery Mission
World Turtle Day Ghost Gear Recovery Expedition
A professionally managed marine conservation field mission focused on ghost gear recovery, reef protection, marine species conservation, and community engagement across the Koh Rong and Koh Sdach archipelagos.
Partners: MRPO, trained divers, partners, supporters, and coastal stakeholders
Purpose
To remove harmful abandoned fishing gear from sensitive marine environments while maintaining reef-safe operations, diver safety, and strong conservation documentation.
Conservation Impact
The mission supports safer reef habitats, stronger public awareness, partner coordination, and field evidence that can inform future marine protection work in Cambodia.
Who Benefits
Marine wildlife, reef habitats, responsible fishers, island communities, conservation partners, government stakeholders, and supporters of Cambodia's coastal ecosystems.
What This Includes
- Technical ghost gear recovery
- World Turtle Day public conservation focus
- Reef-safe dive operations
- Mission documentation and participant coordination
Research
Past
Publicly reported coral health and reef monitoring collaboration
Cambodia Coral Spawning Monitoring Collaboration
MRPO was publicly named among partners supporting coral spawning survey and reef monitoring work in Cambodia in March 2026.
Partners: Cambodian ministries, Fauna & Flora, Song Saa Foundation, MRPO, and other partners
Purpose
To contribute to wider partner understanding of coral health, reef condition, and biodiversity signals in Cambodian waters.
Conservation Impact
Publicly visible reef monitoring collaboration helps strengthen scientific attention, partner coordination, and long-term evidence for coral ecosystem protection.
Who Benefits
Government stakeholders, researchers, conservation NGOs, marine protected area managers, coastal communities, and future marine conservation planning.
What This Includes
- Coral spawning monitoring context
- Partner research coordination
- Public conservation visibility
- Knowledge sharing for reef management
Koh Rong, Koh Sdach, Koh Tang, Koh Prins, and Cambodia's southwest coastal waters
MRPO works across a connected coastal seascape rather than a single isolated site. This allows field response, monitoring, restoration, community coordination, and partner support to follow the way marine threats actually move through open waters, islands, habitats, and fishing routes.
Reefs, mangroves, seagrass, shallow seas, and biodiversity areas
Program planning focuses on habitats that support fisheries, shoreline resilience, marine wildlife, local livelihoods, and long-term ecosystem recovery.
Fishing areas, coastal villages, landing points, and island users
MRPO designs activities with local participation in mind, so conservation work can support stewardship, awareness, responsible resource use, and practical community benefit.
Program Partnerships