By establishing an interdisciplinary program in Marine Studies and a Department of Marine Studies at the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE), this partnership increased access to higher education for underserved groups and enhanced coastal resources management to stimulate economic growth. Partners held the Certificate in Marine Studies at UPE with more than 20 students attending the lecture series for “Marine Week”- a marine education event at UPE - and held a roundtable at UPE of donors and stakeholders of the Coastal Micro-Enterprise and Small Marine Business Incubation in the Nelson Mandela Metropole Municipality.

Two graduate students from the School of Marine Affairs at the University of Washington conducted field research, advised students at UPE and prepared feasibility studies of community-based small coastal enterprises in the Eastern Cape.