Gulf of Guinea Mangroves - A Global Ecoregion
Include the most extensive area of mangroves in Africa
Snapshot: Ecoregion 135
Size:
N/A
Habitat type:
Mangroves
Geographic Location:
Western African Coast: Angola, Cameroon, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, and Nigeria
Conservation Status:
Critical/Endangered
Quiz Time!
How do mangroves help stabilise shorelines?
Answer:
Mangrove trees spread their large, spindly roots beneath the surface of the water and trap sediment that would otherwise be washed offshore and out to sea.
About the Area
Mangroves are found discontinuously from Senegal to northern Angola, with important areas in the Niger delta, Cameroon, and Gabon.
This ecoregion contains mangroves of the Niger Delta, which is the single most extensive mangrove system in Africa, and third worldwide after India and Indonesia.These mangroves play an important role as nursery areas for fishes and shrimp; moreover, they are important factors in stabilising the shoreline.
Local Species
Vegetation is dominated by Rhizophora racemosa. Other residents include a variety of fishes, birds, and invertebrates, and species such as West African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis), African slender-snouted crocodile (Crocodylus cataphractus), Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis), Cuvier's fire-footed squirrel (Funisciurus pyrropus), African fish-eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer), and African skimmer (Rynchops flavirostris).
Threats
Threats include urbanisation, industrialisation, agriculture, timber and petroleum exploitation, dynamite and poison fishing, canalisation, discharge of sewage and other pollutants, siltation, sand mining, erosion, construction of embankments - all because of population pressure in the coastal zone. Oil spills and development projects have led to large mortalities of invertebrates and fishes.
Resources
• NationalGeographic.com
