Eastern African Marine Ecoregion

4,600km coastline supporting 22 million people

The Eastern African Marine Ecoregion is an area stretching from southern Somalia to the Natal shores of South Africa. This 4,600 km coastline is host to an ever-growing population of 22 million, most of whom depend on the coastal seas for their sustenance, business and leisure.

This coastal region is referred to as an 'ecoregion' because of the way the marine and coastal habitats are linked, both physically and ecologically. The main habitats present in the ecoregion are mangrove forests, seagrass beds, coral reefs and open waters, which provide a home to over 11,000 species of plants and animals.

Typically, these habitats form a mosaic along the coast, supporting rich and complex populations of marine species that rely on this diversity for their productivity. In the last 50 years, human activities in the coastal zone have begun to alter and destroy this biodiversity, essential to the continued existence of humans on these shores.

Though many pristine areas remain, the rate of human impact is expected to increase. In this section, the physical, human and biological features of this region are described, together with WWF's ecoregion conservation approach aimed at focusing even greater attention on the Eastern African Marine Ecoregion.

By boosting the interests and commitment of individual governments and other stakeholders, as well as supporting regional and local initiatives, it is hoped that the conservation of marine biodiversity in this ecoregion will be achieved.