Mauritania Coast, Mauritania
Main Contributors:
Johanna Yletyinen
Other Contributors:
Summary
The Mauritanian benthic fauna faces periodical, severe hypoxic and anoxic conditions caused mainly by dry climatic conditions. Hypoxic episodes have dramatically increased under the arid and dry climates of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Strong northeast trade winds bring the settled nutrients from the deep ocean water to the surface, giving rise to phytoplankton blooms.
The rapid intensification of Mauritanian agriculture may indirectly increase hypoxia through fertilizer usage. Point and non-point source pollution into Mauritanian's coastal waters should be managed to protect the benthic biodiversity.
The rapid intensification of Mauritanian agriculture may indirectly increase hypoxia through fertilizer usage. Point and non-point source pollution into Mauritanian's coastal waters should be managed to protect the benthic biodiversity.
Type of regime shift
Ecosystem type
- Marine & coastal
Land uses
- Fisheries
Spatial scale of the case study
- Sub-continental/regional (e.g. southern Africa, Amazon basin)
Continent or Ocean
- Africa
Region
- West Africa
Countries
- Mauritania
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Key References
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Le Loeuff P, von Cosel R. 1998. Biodiversity patterns of the marine benthic fauna of the Atlantic Coast of tropical Africa in relation to hydroclimatic conditions and paleogeographic events. Acta Oecologica 19, 309-321.
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Le Loeuff, P. 1999. The benthic macrofauna of the variable saline waters ecosystems along the Atlantic coast of tropical Africa; biodiversity variations with the current climatic conditions (rainfall) and the regional climatic history. Zoosystema 21, 557-571.
Citation
Johanna Yletyinen.
Mauritania Coast, Mauritania.
In: Regime Shifts Database, www.regimeshifts.org.
Last revised 2011-12-02 17:06:18 GMT.