South Africa’s coast is the meeting place of two ocean giants- the Atlantic and Indian oceans, and these have created a particularly rich marine fauna and flora.
South Africa has over 12 000 marine species, or almost 6 % of all the coastal marine species known worldwide.
At the tip of the Cape Peninsula, the cold Benguela current of the west coast meets the warm Agulhas current of the east coast, resulting in completely different environments and creatures on our west and east coasts. Nutrient- rich upwellings on the west coast nourish a spectacular number of plants and animals- this high productivity is marked during the dense algal blooms.
The eastern shores of South Africa are less productive, but hold an extraordinary diversity of life. Coral reefs, sea- grass beds and mangrove forests provide shelter and food to thousands of species.
South Africa’s coastal habitats vary considerably- from the windswept dunes of the northern Cape, nutrient- rich kelp forests of the Cape west coast, the sub- tropical forests of Knysna and Tsitsikamma, mangrove forests of the Wild Coast, and the coral reefs of Maputaland.
Many offshore islands are home to great communities of birds, such as gannets, African penguins and cormorants, and massive colonies of seals. These are tips of undersea mountains, and a large proportion of southern Africa’s seabirds collect at these islands to breed and rear young.
Lakes, lagoons and estuaries are in abundance along our coast, such as the Kosi Bay lakes, Lake St Lucia, the De Hoop Vlei and Langebaan Lagoon.
South Africa is home to many diverse marine animals and plants, 12% of which are endemic- found nowhere else.
One of these endemic creatures is the Knysna seahorse, found only in the Knysna, Swartvlei and Keurbooms estuaries. Estuaries and river mouths are important breeding and nursery grounds for a number of crustacean and fish species.
Leatherback and loggerhead turtle females return each year around October or November to the beaches of northern Zululand to lay their eggs. The hatchlings emerge when sea temperatures are at their highest, in February or March.
The prehistoric coelacanth evolved about 400 million years ago and survived the mass extinction that marked the end of the dinosaurs. It was considered extinct until a spectacular discovery off East London in 1938. Coelacanths are now spotted in the Mozambique Channel, Sodwana Bay, Tanzania, Kenya and Indonesia.
South Africa has a long, and relatively pristine coastline that offers many renewable resources that are enjoyed by fishermen and nature- lovers. These resources are, however, limited and almost all of our exploitable marine species are under pressure.
Roughly 15% of South Africa’s 3000km- long coastline is protected within Marine Protected Areas. The first to be proclaimed was the Tsitsikamma National Park in 1964. We now have 23 protected marine environments, where we are able to conserve the natural environments, while assisting in the management of fisheries by protecting and rebuilding economically important stocks.
In addition, many of the protected areas will be used to develop and regulate coastal eco-tourism opportunities, with activities such as sport diving regulated but not prohibited in the new protected areas.
This will ensure that vulnerable eco-systems are protected for the enjoyment of current and future generations.
© Copyright 2009 Shoreline | Developed by JGH
