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The Principality of Monaco is funding seven of these awards again this year for research projects with a focus on marine, island and coastal issues. On 5 July, the Man and the Biosphere Programme’s Council decided to name these grants the “MAB Young Scientist Awards - Prince Albert I of Monaco” in honnor of his contribution to ocean exploration and science.

The winners are, in alphabetical order:

She will be documenting the use of natural resources in Cacique Lempira, Señor de las Montañas Biosphere Reserve and how it affects the economy of Indigenous Peoples. She will also attempt to document the ancestral knowledge of these communities.

He will be studying invasive plant species in forests that have been recently restored or are still undergoing restoration in Gishwati-Mukura Biosphere Reserve. The lack of knowledge of these invasive species is hindering restoration efforts. He also plans to suggest strategies for controlling invasive plant species that minimize the environmental impact and operational costs.

She will be analysing the diversity and geographical distribution of academic research targeting the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and will identify trends, patterns and knowledge gaps. She will also be analysing the impact of this research on the Brazilian network and the Sao Paulo City Green Belt Biosphere Reserve to inform policies and recommendations for biosphere reserve management.

His focus will be on the Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves Network. He will assess the effectiveness of management of biosphere reserves in the network, the effect of decisions made by the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere programme on the evolution of individual biosphere reserves and the opportunities for cooperation between biosphere reserves and related challenges.

She will be addressing the various challenges that rhinoceros populations face in Manas National Park, a World Heritage site, when it comes to their conservation. Using geospatial data, future land cover simulations and socio-economic impact assessments, she will develop a habitat suitability model for rhinoceros populations that will include scenarios for the future impact of climate change on the rhinoceros’ habitat and conservation needs. 

She will be studying the behaviour of sub-Antarctic bats in Cabo de Hornos Biosphere Reserve in Chile to fill knowledge gaps about bat species in the southern hemisphere. Notably, her findings on the bats’ interaction with local communities on Navarino Island will help stakeholders to identify habitats to prioritize for conservation and aid them in determining which trees to conserve and which to designate for logging purposes.

She will be assessing conflicts between humans and wildlife in Mount Elgon Biosphere Reserve and whether there are land-use practices and seasonal climatic variations which affect the intensity of these conflicts between local communities and primates and/or elephants. Her research will provide essential evidence-based knowledge for conflict management.

He will be updating the plant inventory in Gishwati–Mukura Biosphere Reserve and initiating the first baseline reference library of genomic data for 100 rare and threatened plants in the biosphere reserve. This reference library should serve as a model for other national parks in Rwanda, including the Volcanoes Biosphere Reserve.

The seven winners are, in alphabetical order:

He will be studying the consumption of tap water and bottled water by inhabitants of the Lanzarote and Fuerteventura Biosphere Reserves, to evaluate the impact of plastic consumption tied to the water industry and provide research-based policy recommendations to stakeholders in this industry. His recommendations will be tailored to fit the other Canarian islands, as well as similar island and coastal biosphere reserves in UNESCO’s global network. 

Her research will explore the relation between gleaning, the collection of seafood along the coast and the food security of coastal communities living in the Palawan Biosphere Reserve. Having a quantitative analysis of the extent of gleaning will help to ensure that this activity is managed in a more sustainable and equitable manner.

He will be examining the drivers of forest ecosystem restoration, as well as any barriers, in Palawan Biosphere Reserve, which is subject to intense natural hazards. He will work with local communities to establish recommendations for forest landscape restoration that take socio-economic factors into account. These recommendations could then be replicated in other coastal biosphere reserves with forest ecosystems that are exposed to regular intense natural hazards.

He will be studying the ecosystem services in the Delta du Saloum Biosphere Reserve and the local population’s knowledge and use of these services. His findings will help the Senegalese Man and Biosphere Committee and the managers of the national park to refine their conservation policies and priorities. 

He will be documenting the contribution of local and Indigenous knowledge to conservation of the Malindi-Watamu Arabuko Sokoke Biosphere Reserve. This knowledge will inform decision-making in areas such as human security, biodiversity health, education and natural resources management. 

She will be analysing the presence of microplastics in marine mammals of the Valdés Biosphere Reserve, as well as the dynamics of the marine food web in the area. Her results will help to inform policies aimed at curbing microplastic pollution.

Through a participatory mapping of recreational fishing in the Mar Chiquita Biosphere Reserve, he will identify basic guidelines for managing this activity which will culminate in the development of a guide to fishing for locals and visitors to the biosphere reserve.