Even after years of hands-on conservation and research, we still have more questions than answers. Below we highlight some of our suggested research topics for our volunteers, interns and researchers. You may also check our past publications in the MCC Research Archive.
Marine Ecology/ Biology
- Assessing benthic community structure through line transects
- Dolphin monitoring, abundance and distribution
- Assessing reef health (reef check transect methodology)
- Abundance and distribution of coral reef, seagrass, reef fish and invertebrates
- Cataloging and inventory of marine species in Cambodia
- Artificial reef and habitat creation
- Sedimentation studies
- Specialist seahorse research (incl., behavior, breeding, migration, feeding & habitats)
- Continued monitoring of the marine ecosystems around Koh Rong Samloem and Koh Koun
- Baseline marine surveys in previously unmapped areas
- Live marine food production for marine aquaculture
Coastal Management, Fisheries Management and Socio-Economic Research
- Catch monitoring and resources used by local small-scale fishers
- Marine Fisheries Management processes
- Composition, trends and sustainability of commercial fisheries
- Marine mammal, sea turtle and seahorse catch and by-catch
- Continuation of support and education with regards to the management plans of the government-established fisheries communities
- Socio–economic assessment of local fishing communities
- Conflict resolution between different stakeholders who are using the same coastal resources
- Evaluation of the monetary and non-monetary value of coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses within Cambodia’s marine ecosystems
Sustainable Development
- Developing and evaluating community-based biodiversity conservation projects
- Development and control of of eco-tourism
- Assessing and improving waste management programs
Conservation Management
- Integrating GIS and other science-based approaches to the establishment of Marine Protected Areas
Terrestrial Ecology/Biology
- Island Ecology: terrestrial biodiversity on the 13 Kep archipelago islands
- Cataloging and inventory of bird species in the Kep archipelago
- Cataloging and inventory of insects in the Kep archipelago
Important: these are just some of the sample research topics. Don’t limit yourself to these options as we are always open to new ideas and methodologies.