Publicação
First checklist, mapping and review of the marine biodiversity data for the Bijagós Archipelago (Guinea-Bissau, Africa) - implications for conservation
| Resumo: | The Bijagós Archipelago, rich in marine life, serves as a vital nursery and supports local fisheries. International marine research programs have been developed for the Bijagós, especially targeting macrofauna, but the information on marine biodiversity of the Bijagós is scattered and insufficiently available and integrated for a comprehensive assessment. The main goal of this study was to compile, using different sources (scientific fishing campaigns, technical reports, scientific papers, bioportals, etc.), the existing marine biodiversity data in the Bijagós Archipelago, to identify hotspots, knowledge gaps, and conservation priorities in this important region. For this, records were compared inside and outside national parks, or marine protected areas, and species with conservation status according to the IUCN and those with commercial value were identified. A total of 7,222 marine biodiversity records, belonging to 420 species, were found, most of them corresponding to birds and fish taxa. However, most of records are concentrate on specific islands. Of the 420 species, 136 of them were identified as having commercial interest, and most of them were found inside protected areas. Nevertheless, most species identified as critically endangered by the IUCN were found outside protected areas. The results of this study allowed the creation of a platform to make biodiversity information available on an easy-to-use portal, https://www.marafrica.net/Bijagós/. This is free for everyone, and it is dedicated to provide valuable information to managers, stakeholders, scientists, students and the general public for education, management and conservation activities. The present study is the first one that compiles and map all available marine biodiversity data reported to date in the Bijagós Archipelago, and could serve as a baseline to inform conservation measures for preserving the marine biodiversity and ecosystem services of this archipelago and other important African regions. |
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| Autores principais: | Nhanquê, Filipe Tobana |
| Assunto: | Biodiversidade marinha Campanhas científicas de pesca Conservação |
| Ano: | 2023 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade do Algarve |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Sapientia - Universidade do Algarve |
| Resumo: | The Bijagós Archipelago, rich in marine life, serves as a vital nursery and supports local fisheries. International marine research programs have been developed for the Bijagós, especially targeting macrofauna, but the information on marine biodiversity of the Bijagós is scattered and insufficiently available and integrated for a comprehensive assessment. The main goal of this study was to compile, using different sources (scientific fishing campaigns, technical reports, scientific papers, bioportals, etc.), the existing marine biodiversity data in the Bijagós Archipelago, to identify hotspots, knowledge gaps, and conservation priorities in this important region. For this, records were compared inside and outside national parks, or marine protected areas, and species with conservation status according to the IUCN and those with commercial value were identified. A total of 7,222 marine biodiversity records, belonging to 420 species, were found, most of them corresponding to birds and fish taxa. However, most of records are concentrate on specific islands. Of the 420 species, 136 of them were identified as having commercial interest, and most of them were found inside protected areas. Nevertheless, most species identified as critically endangered by the IUCN were found outside protected areas. The results of this study allowed the creation of a platform to make biodiversity information available on an easy-to-use portal, https://www.marafrica.net/Bijagós/. This is free for everyone, and it is dedicated to provide valuable information to managers, stakeholders, scientists, students and the general public for education, management and conservation activities. The present study is the first one that compiles and map all available marine biodiversity data reported to date in the Bijagós Archipelago, and could serve as a baseline to inform conservation measures for preserving the marine biodiversity and ecosystem services of this archipelago and other important African regions. |
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