Page 7 - Kenya Report

Kenya’s mangrove forest is dominated by three County % cover Coverage in km 2
main species namely the Rhizophora mucronata,
Avicennia marina and Ceriops tagal (ROK, Lamu 61 373.50
2017). Other species include the Sonneratia Kwale 14 83.54
alba, Lumnitzera racemose, Heritiera littoralis, Kilifi 14 85.36
Xylocarpus granatum and Xylocarpus moluccensis. Country Profile
The Mangrove ecosystem is very crucial to the Mombasa 6 37.71 The Republic of Kenya
marine biodiversity because its rich nutrients Tana River 5 32.60
environment supports varieties of food chains and Total 100 612.71
is feeding ground for invertebrates and fish. The Source: (NEMA, 2017)
mangrove forests support herbivores, which feed
on the leaves and sessile invertebrates on the roots. The trunks and aerial roots are home to some
crab species and gastropod molluscs. Crocodiles are also found in the mangrove occurring along
Tana and Ramisi River (Marten, 1996).

Ecologically, the mangrove ecosystem acts as buffers against storms and winds, the two of which
hasten riverine erosion and shoreline destabilization. They also trap runoff sediments thus avoiding
siltation of coral reefs and seagrass beds. The mangrove forest is also of economic importance. It is
a source of fuelwood, medicine, fish traps and house construction (NEMA, 2017). The Rhizophora
mucronata and Ceriops tagal are useful in timber production as poles, rafters and posts.

Coral reefs
The coral reefs of Kenya are mainly categorized into patch reef and fore reefs extending from the
northern part of Lamu to Somali border and a 200 km continuous fringing reef extending from
Malindi to Shimoni. More than 112 and 28 species of hard and soft corals respectively have been
identified in Kenya.

Sea grass beds

Sea grasses mostly occur in shallow reef slopes, creeks and sheltered tidal flats. They are a key
habitat for existing adjacent species. For instance, they act as foraging grounds for the endangered
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marine turtles and dudongs (NEMA, 2017). Kenya has about 336 km of seagrass cover and 12
species of sea grass, the most dominant one being Thalassondendron ciliatum (NEMA, 2017). This
specie provides important habitat for invertebrates and juvenile fish. Other species include Halodule
uninervis, Halophila ovalis, Halodule wrightii, Halophila minor, Syringodium isoetifolium, Zostera
capensis, Cymodocea rotundata, Enhalus acoroides, Cymodocea serrulata, Halophila stipulacea
and Thalassia hemprichii (Ochieng & Erftemeijer, 1993) (KMFRI, 2017). Kenya’s Aquaculture Brief
2017: Status, Trends, Challenges and Future Outlook. Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute,
Mombasa, Kenya.

Ecosystem management and conservation

The challenge
Kenya’s coastal ecosystems and biodiversity provide a myriad of ecosystem services. However, they
are threatened by over-exploitation, pollution, urbanization and climate change. Integrated coastal
zone management (ICZM) is a policy response being employed to deal with these multiple challenges.

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