What the study found
Seasonality and gendered behavior both shaped marine subsistence in Mfumbwi, Zanzibar, affecting men and women differently. The study also found that the kinds of marine species harvested varied between men and women, likely because they frequented different ecozones.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the study lays the foundation for future work using modern socio-ecological datasets. They suggest it is relevant to current conservation and cultural heritage management, as well as to archaeological interpretation of maritime subsistence on the Swahili coast and other parts of the Indian Ocean World.
What the researchers tested
The researchers examined how seasonality and gendered patterns influenced the marine subsistence record of Mfumbwi. They used an ethnographic maritime subsistence dataset called MS-1819, collected between June 2018 and June 2019, in a village of maritime fishers and shellfish gatherers in Jambiani, Zanzibar Island.
What worked and what didn't
The study reports that the wet-dry monsoonal climate of Zanzibar intersected with local gender ideologies in significant ways. It also reports that the roster of harvested species differed by gender, most likely reflecting different ecozones, although the seasonal availability or accessibility of some taxa may also have depended on the behavior of the taxa themselves.
What to keep in mind
The abstract notes that various biological and cultural variables may have skewed the MS-1819 data as they were collected. It does not provide further limitations beyond this scope-related caution.
Key points
- Seasonality and gendered behavior affected marine subsistence in Mfumbwi, Zanzibar.
- Men and women harvested different marine species, likely because they used different ecozones.
- The wet-dry monsoonal climate intersected with local gender ideologies.
- Some seasonal patterns may also reflect the behavior of individual taxa, not only climate.
- The authors say the study may help archaeological, conservation, and cultural heritage work.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Seasonal and gendered patterns shaped subsistence marine harvesting
- Authors:
- Akshay Sarathi, Patrick Faulkner, Benjamin J. Linzmeier, Abdallah K. Ali, H. Othman, Ally Ussi
- Institutions:
- American University of Sharjah, Department of Archaeology, University of South Alabama, Arkansas Museum of Discovery
- Publication date:
- 2026-01-29
- OpenAlex record:
- View
Get the weekly research newsletter
Stay current with peer-reviewed research without reading academic papers — one filtered digest, every Friday.