The Western and Central Africa Land–Sea Interface: A Vulnerable, Threatened, and Important Coastal Zone Within a Changing Environment - The Land/Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone of West and Central Africa - page 5

Fig. 2 Map of the coast of West Africa with tidal ranges (see Table 1 )

Gabon, the Republic of Congo (RoC) and the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) Including Their Potential for
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest
Degradation (REDD+) ''). Most of the coastal wetlands
provide unique ecological conditions and habitats for
migratory birds. They also function as nurseries for
valuable fish and shellfish species, but remain unprotected
in regard to impacts from natural and human influences
and exploitation (UNEP-WCMC 2007 );
(b) Coastal lagoons are found mainly in the Gulf of Guinea,
from Côte d'Ivoire to east of Nigeria. They are asso-
ciated with freshwater rivers, deltas, and estuaries and
include a wide range of tidal swamps and seasonal
marshlands;
(c) Sea grass beds are not very well developed in West
Africa, although they exist off the shorelines of some
estuaries and deltas (i.e., Saloum, Casamance in Sene-
gal; Cacheu and Geba in Guinea-Bissau, etc.). There are
no true coral reefs along the West African coast, mainly
because of the cool waters of the Canary Currents;
(d) Sandy beaches, particularly in the Western African
coast, along Mauritania and north of Senegal, and also

in Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Liberia and along
the Gulf of Guinea, are considered important nesting
ecosystems, particularly for sea turtles. Their exposure
to strong currents and swells make the beaches extre-
mely dangerous, often also being subject to marine
debris and detritus accumulation in these areas.
In fact, the most important factor characterizing the open
ocean waters off the shores of Gambia, Mauritania, and
Senegal is the nearly permanent presence of upwelling,
which is highly influenced in this region by the Canary
Current. This is a reason why this region is well known for its
rich fish production. Indeed, a large variety and diversity of
marine resources species characterize the coastal marine
waters of West and Central Africa. The wealth of estuaries,
deltas, coastal lagoons, and the nutrient-rich upwelling of
cold waters make a major contribution to the diversity of fish
life. Nevertheless, these marine and coastal areas, including
upstream freshwater regions, are presently affected by
human activities, including over-exploitation and impacts
from land-based settlements and pollutants from related
industrial, agricultural, urban, and domestic sewage runoff
and other mining activities (e.g., oil and gas), particularly off