Bouéni Bay Mangroves (7074)
Mayotte (to France), Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2014

National site name: Mangroves de la Baie de Bouéni

Central coordinates: Latitude: -12.9170, Longitude: 45.1460

System: marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 5

Area of KBA (km²): 2.49352

Protected area coverage (%): 99.34

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The site comprises the coastal fringe of the large bay in south-west Mayotte. It extends from Poroani village (in the north) to Karoni hamlet, including the largest extent of mangrove on Mayotte (and indeed the Comoro archipelago), the landward strip adjacent to it, and also some intertidal mud. The strip is about 13 km long, and the mangrove belt reaches a maximum thickness of about 800 m. The landward side is cultivated with bananas and coconut, with a woodland of large trees (especially Heritiera sp. and Erythrina sp.) bordering the coast. The coastal plain is almost flat for up to 1.5 km inland. The towns of Chirongui and Tsimkoura lie a few hundred metres inland on this strip.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Madagascar and Indian Ocean Islands Hotspot (2014). Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat status follow the 2013 IUCN Red List.

Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 2 for key species. Most of the forest-living birds of Mayotte occur. Of special importance at this site is the small population in the south (around Chirongui) of the restricted-range species Foudia eminentissima, which is otherwise poorly represented in the site inventory for Mayotte. Other species rare or absent from inland sites on Mayotte include the herons Ardeola idae and Butorides striatus and most shorebirds. In addition to the species listed, the threatened Ardea humbloti may occur as an occasional visitor. Non-bird biodiversity: Threatened ecosystem: mangrove (largest area in Comoro archipelago). Reptiles: Phelsuma robertmertensii. No other data specific to this site.

Habitats

Land use: agriculture | forestry | not utilised

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The mangroves are threatened by heavy sediment loads from the deforested interior; the extent of any wood-cutting is not known. This relatively remote coast is not immediately threatened by development for infrastructure or tourism.

Additional information