Front Cover |
1 |
Acknowledgements |
2 |
Table of Contents |
3 |
List of figures and tables |
4 |
Foreword |
5 |
Executive summary |
6 |
1. Introduction |
9 |
1.1. Location, climate and relief of Sierra Leone |
9 |
1.2. Demography |
9 |
1.3. Socio-cultural and political structure |
10 |
1.4. Economy |
10 |
1.5. Methodology |
11 |
2. Major marine ecosystems |
13 |
2.1. Oceanic Habitat in the Territorial Water |
13 |
2.2. Water column systems |
14 |
2.3. Biological systems |
14 |
2.4. Structural systems |
15 |
2.4.1. Canyons and Shelf break |
15 |
2.4.2. Seamounts |
15 |
2.4.3. Large gulfs |
15 |
2.4.4. Offshore banks, shoals, islands |
15 |
2.5. Major river deltas/wetlands |
15 |
2.5.1. Scarcies River basin |
15 |
2.5.2. Sierra Leone River basin |
15 |
2.5.3. Sherbro River basin |
15 |
2.5.4. Gallinas and Mano rivers basin |
16 |
2.6. Coastal landforms |
16 |
2.6.1. Beaches |
16 |
3. Marine Biodiversity |
18 |
3.1. Plankton |
18 |
3.2. Macro algae |
18 |
3.3. Coastal fisheries |
18 |
3.3.1. Fish species of the Sierra Leone coastal estuarine environment |
18 |
3.3.2. Ichthyofauna |
18 |
3.3.3. Pelagic fish community |
18 |
3.3.4. Estuarine and Creek Community |
19 |
3.4. Marine fisheries |
19 |
3.4.1. Inshore Pelagics |
19 |
3.4.2. Offshore Pelagic Fisheries |
19 |
3.4.3. Inshore Demersal Fisheries |
19 |
3.4.4. Offshore Demersal Fishery |
19 |
3.4.5. Shell Fish (Invertebrates, Squid, crustaceans etc.) |
19 |
3.5. Birds |
19 |
3.6. Turtles and Reptiles |
20 |
4. Habitat |
21 |
4.1. Estuaries and deltas |
21 |
4.2. Small bays |
22 |
4.3. Beaches (sandy beaches) |
22 |
4.4. Rocky coasts and islands |
22 |
4.5. Seabed inner shelf (0–50m) |
23 |
4.6. Seabed outer shelf (50–200m) |
23 |
4.7. Water column shoreline (0–20m) |
23 |
4.8. Water column inner shelf (20–50m) |
23 |
4.9. Water column outer shelf (50–200m) |
23 |
4.10. Mangroves |
23 |
4.11. Mudflats |
23 |
4.12. Offshore banks, Shoals and Islands |
23 |
4.13. Coastal lagoons |
23 |
4.14. Summary (habitat assessment) |
23 |
5. Species |
24 |
5.1. Dolphins |
24 |
5.2. West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) |
24 |
5.3. Sharks and rays |
24 |
5.4. Tuna and Billfish |
26 |
5.5. Inner shelf (0–50m) demersal fish assemblages |
26 |
5.6. Outer shelf (50–200) demersal and benthopelagic fish assemblages |
26 |
5.7. Slope-demersal fish assemblages (>200m) |
26 |
5.8. Meso-pelagic fish assemblages |
26 |
5.9. Small pelagics – inner shelf (0–50) |
26 |
5.10. Small pelagics – outer shelf (50–200) |
26 |
5.11. Inner shelf Shell Fish (Invertebrates, Squid, Crustaceans etc.) |
26 |
5.12. Outer shelf and inner slope invertebrate species |
26 |
5.13. Shoreline and intertidal rocky shore invertebrate species |
27 |
5.14. Benthic filter feeders of soft and hard substrata |
27 |
5.15. Turtles |
28 |
5.16. Mangrove species |
28 |
5.17. Macro-algae |
28 |
5.18. Plankton |
29 |
5.19. Summary (species assessment) |
29 |
6. Physical, chemical and ecological processes |
30 |
6.1. Sea water Temperature |
30 |
6.2. Salinity |
32 |
6.3. Ocean Currents |
32 |
6.4. Seasonal Upwelling and Productivity |
33 |
6.5. Tides |
33 |
6.6. Waves and Swells |
33 |
6.7. Sediment Transport Processes |
33 |
6.8. Longshore Currents |
34 |
6.9. Tides and Tidal Currents |
34 |
6.10. Rip Currents |
34 |
6.11. Storm Surges |
34 |
6.12. Spatial/physical disjunctions, harbour infrastructure |
34 |
6.13. Sea Level |
34 |
6.14. Land-sourced nutrients supply and cycling |
34 |
6.15. Ocean-sourced nutrient supply and cycling |
34 |
6.16. Toxins, pesticides, herbicides |
34 |
6.17. Dumped waste |
35 |
6.18. Marine Debris Wracks |
35 |
6.19. Sediment Transportation |
35 |
6.20. Coastal Shoreline Erosion |
35 |
6.21. Freshwater inflow, Surface and Groundwater runoff |
35 |
7. Pests, introduced species, diseases and algal blooms |
36 |
8. Pressures – Environmental and socioeconomic impacts |
38 |
8.1. Fisheries |
38 |
8.2. Shipping |
38 |
8.3. Ports and harbour infrastructure |
38 |
8.4. Submarine cables and pipelines |
39 |
8.5. Offshore hydrocarbon industries |
39 |
8.6. Offshore mining industries |
40 |
8.7. Solid waste disposal |
40 |
8.8. Marine debris |
40 |
8.9. Tourism and recreation |
40 |
8.10. Desalinisation |
40 |
8.11. Other pressures |
40 |
9. Risks to the marine environment – Coastal and marine ecosystem conservation and management strategies |
42 |
9.1. Risk assessment |
42 |
9.2. Water quality |
42 |
9.3. Fisheries |
42 |
9.4. Mangroves |
43 |
9.5. Coastal development |
43 |
9.6. Coastal erosion |
44 |
9.7. Marine debris |
44 |
9.8. Invasive species |
45 |
9.9. Petroleum and other resources |
45 |
9.10. Climate change |
45 |
10. Conclusions |
47 |
11. Recommendations |
48 |
11.1. Measures to address physical loss of seabed/coastal habitats in the marine/ coastal environment |
48 |
11.2. Measures to address marine litter |
48 |
11.4 Measures concerning nutrient and organic matter inputs to the marine environment from sea-based or air-based sources |
48 |
11.5. Measures to address biological disturbances in the marine environment from the selective extraction of species including incidental non-target catches |
48 |
11.7. Measures related to Spatial Protection Measures for the marine and coastal environment |
48 |
11.8. Research, improvement of knowledge base reducing uncertainty in the marine and coastal environment |
49 |
11.9. Other measures |
49 |
12. References |
50 |
13. Background documents |
51 |
14. Acronyms |
52 |
Appendix - Methodology Paper: Measuring the State of the Oceans and Coasts |
53 |
1. Background |
55 |
2. The SOME Report Production Process |
56 |
3. The SOME Assessment Expert Elicitation Method |
58 |
4. Condition assessment |
61 |
5. Risk assessment |
68 |
6. Conclusions |
70 |
References |
70 |
Appendix 1. Web-based system for State of the Marine Environment reporting |
72 |
Back Cover |
74 |