Seagrasses of West Africa: New Discoveries, Distribution Limits and Prospects for Management
The onset of a major seagrass initiative in West Africa enabled important seagrass discoveries in several countries, in one of the least documented seagrass regions in the world. Four seagrass species occur in western Africa, <i>Cymodocea nodosa</i>, <i>Halodule wrightii</i>,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/1/5 |
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| author | Mohamed Ahmed Sidi Cheikh Salomão Bandeira Seydouba Soumah Gnilane Diouf Elisabeth Mayé Diouf Omar Sanneh Noelo Cardoso Abubacarr Kujabie Melissa Ndure Lynette John Lisdália Moreira Zofia Radwan Iderlindo Santos Adam Ceesay Marco Vinaccia Maria Potouroglou |
| author_facet | Mohamed Ahmed Sidi Cheikh Salomão Bandeira Seydouba Soumah Gnilane Diouf Elisabeth Mayé Diouf Omar Sanneh Noelo Cardoso Abubacarr Kujabie Melissa Ndure Lynette John Lisdália Moreira Zofia Radwan Iderlindo Santos Adam Ceesay Marco Vinaccia Maria Potouroglou |
| author_sort | Mohamed Ahmed Sidi Cheikh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The onset of a major seagrass initiative in West Africa enabled important seagrass discoveries in several countries, in one of the least documented seagrass regions in the world. Four seagrass species occur in western Africa, <i>Cymodocea nodosa</i>, <i>Halodule wrightii</i>, <i>Ruppia maritima</i> and <i>Zostera noltei</i>. An area of about 62,108 ha of seagrasses was documented in the studied region comprising seven countries: Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Cabo Verde. Extensive meadows of <i>Zostera noltei</i> were recorded for the first time at Saloum Delta, Senegal, which represents the new southernmost distribution limit of this species. This paper also describes the seagrass morphology for some study areas and explores the main stressors to seagrasses as well as conservation initiatives to protect these newly documented meadows in West Africa. The produced information and maps serve as a starting point for researchers and managers to monitor temporal and spatial changes in the meadows’ extent, health and condition as an efficient management tool. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:02:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8bee02cf9e714a7ba5882575d78ef1d4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:02:56Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-8bee02cf9e714a7ba5882575d78ef1d42023-11-30T21:52:40ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182022-12-01151510.3390/d15010005Seagrasses of West Africa: New Discoveries, Distribution Limits and Prospects for ManagementMohamed Ahmed Sidi Cheikh0Salomão Bandeira1Seydouba Soumah2Gnilane Diouf3Elisabeth Mayé Diouf4Omar Sanneh5Noelo Cardoso6Abubacarr Kujabie7Melissa Ndure8Lynette John9Lisdália Moreira10Zofia Radwan11Iderlindo Santos12Adam Ceesay13Marco Vinaccia14Maria Potouroglou15Département de SIG, Caisse de Dépôts et Développement, Nouakchott P.O. Box 4525, MauritaniaProject ResilienSEA, C/o GRID-Arendal, GRID-Arendal, Teaterplassen 3, N-4836 Arendal, NorwayInstituto de Engenharia E Ciências Do Mar, Campus de Ribeira de Julião, Universidade Técnica do Atlântico Instituto (UTA), CP 163, Mindelo 2110, Cape VerdeInstituto de Engenharia E Ciências Do Mar, Campus de Ribeira de Julião, Universidade Técnica do Atlântico Instituto (UTA), CP 163, Mindelo 2110, Cape VerdeUniversity Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Fann, Dakar BP 5005, SenegalDepartment of Parks and Wildlife Management, Abuko, The GambiaMinistério das Pescas, Avenida Amilcar Cabral C.P. 102 Bissau, Guiné-Bissau, Bissau 1400, Guinea-BissauNational Environment Agency, Jimpex Road, Kanifing, The GambiaInstituto de Engenharia E Ciências Do Mar, Campus de Ribeira de Julião, Universidade Técnica do Atlântico Instituto (UTA), CP 163, Mindelo 2110, Cape VerdeInstitute of Marine Biology and Oceanography (IMBO), University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneDirecção Nacional do Ambiente, Ministério do Ambiente, CP 332-A, Praia 7600, Cape VerdeDirecção Nacional do Ambiente, Ministério do Ambiente, CP 332-A, Praia 7600, Cape VerdeProject ResilienSEA, C/o GRID-Arendal, GRID-Arendal, Teaterplassen 3, N-4836 Arendal, NorwayWetlands International Afrique, Dakar BP 25 581, SenegalProject ResilienSEA, C/o GRID-Arendal, GRID-Arendal, Teaterplassen 3, N-4836 Arendal, NorwayWorld Resources Institute, Thomas House, 84 Eccleston Square, London EC1A 1HQ, UKThe onset of a major seagrass initiative in West Africa enabled important seagrass discoveries in several countries, in one of the least documented seagrass regions in the world. Four seagrass species occur in western Africa, <i>Cymodocea nodosa</i>, <i>Halodule wrightii</i>, <i>Ruppia maritima</i> and <i>Zostera noltei</i>. An area of about 62,108 ha of seagrasses was documented in the studied region comprising seven countries: Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Cabo Verde. Extensive meadows of <i>Zostera noltei</i> were recorded for the first time at Saloum Delta, Senegal, which represents the new southernmost distribution limit of this species. This paper also describes the seagrass morphology for some study areas and explores the main stressors to seagrasses as well as conservation initiatives to protect these newly documented meadows in West Africa. The produced information and maps serve as a starting point for researchers and managers to monitor temporal and spatial changes in the meadows’ extent, health and condition as an efficient management tool.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/1/5seagrass distributionmonitoringthreatssouthernmost limit <i>Zostera noltei</i>West Africa |
| spellingShingle | Mohamed Ahmed Sidi Cheikh Salomão Bandeira Seydouba Soumah Gnilane Diouf Elisabeth Mayé Diouf Omar Sanneh Noelo Cardoso Abubacarr Kujabie Melissa Ndure Lynette John Lisdália Moreira Zofia Radwan Iderlindo Santos Adam Ceesay Marco Vinaccia Maria Potouroglou Seagrasses of West Africa: New Discoveries, Distribution Limits and Prospects for Management Diversity seagrass distribution monitoring threats southernmost limit <i>Zostera noltei</i> West Africa |
| title | Seagrasses of West Africa: New Discoveries, Distribution Limits and Prospects for Management |
| title_full | Seagrasses of West Africa: New Discoveries, Distribution Limits and Prospects for Management |
| title_fullStr | Seagrasses of West Africa: New Discoveries, Distribution Limits and Prospects for Management |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seagrasses of West Africa: New Discoveries, Distribution Limits and Prospects for Management |
| title_short | Seagrasses of West Africa: New Discoveries, Distribution Limits and Prospects for Management |
| title_sort | seagrasses of west africa new discoveries distribution limits and prospects for management |
| topic | seagrass distribution monitoring threats southernmost limit <i>Zostera noltei</i> West Africa |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/1/5 |
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