Marine and Coastal Area Development in the East African Region: UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 6

The coastline of the Western Indian Ocean includes the East Coast of Africa and the islands of the Western Indian Ocean, Madagascar, the Comoros, Mauritius and Seychelles. There is a broad geographical similarity in the characteristics of the coastal areas of the continental mainland from Mozambique well into Somalia, although the specific characteristics of the coastal areas on the continent differ to a considerable extent from place to place. Since Madagascar la also generally characterized by continental-type coastal features due to the effects of large-scale riverine inputs of fresh water and sediment derived from its large upland catchment areas, the coasts of East Africa and Madagascar can be treated together as continental-type coastlines. In the East African Region, these coastlines are broadly characterized by alternating regimes of beaches arid rocky outcrops with fringing coral reefs, and large estuarine areas characterized by delta formation and extensive growth of mangroves. While the fishery resources of the continental shelf itself tend to be rather limited although by no means fully exploited currently - due to the generally narrowness of the shelves, the mangrove areas are rich in crustaceans including crabs and other species, which are primarily taken on a subsistence basis in the wetlands, but predominantly multiple species of shrimp.