Seagrasses of West Africa: New Discoveries, Distribution Limits and Prospects for Management

Researchers have documented extensive meadows of Zostera noltei at the Saloum Delta, Senegal, marking the species' new southernmost distribution limit. This discovery, part of a broader seagrass initiative in West Africa—one of the least studied regions globally—identified four seagrass species across seven countries, covering approximately 62,108 hectares. The study also examined seagrass morphology and identified key stressors while proposing conservation strategies to protect these newly documented meadows. The findings provide a critical baseline for monitoring spatial and temporal changes in seagrass extent and health, offering valuable tools for management and research.

Sidi Cheikh, M. A., Bandeira, S., Soumah, S., Diouf, G., Diouf, E. M., Sanneh, O., Cardoso, N., Kujabie, A., Ndure, M., John, L., Moreira, L., Radwan, Z., Santos, I., Ceesay, A., Vinaccia, M., & Potouroglou, M. (2022). Seagrasses of West Africa: New Discoveries, Distribution Limits and Prospects for Management. Diversity, 15(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15010005