Δημοσιεύτηκε στις May, 16 2021

And Madagascar is home to some of the most beautiful, diverse and largest coral reefs in the world.  This marine space is unique and is a "hotspot" of global biodiversity. It contains the richest and most diverse coastal and aquatic ecosystems in the world.

Also, the Northern Mozambique Channel is known to be the second hotspot in the world in terms of coral biodiversity, just behind the Coral Triangle in Indonesia. In the northwest of Madagascar, in the Nosy Hara Marine Park, the coral reefs of this area are among the seven most resilient coral reefs in the world to climate change. These coral reefs are natural barriers to some of the effects of climate change such as coastal erosion and flooding. Let's discover some of the species that make this area exceptional.

The Dugong (Scientific name: Dugong dugon)
The Dugong or 'lamboara' or 'lambodriaky' in Malagasy, is a species of herbivorous marine mammal with a tapered body. It measures approximately 3 m, and could be able to reach the 300 kg at the adulthood. The dugong frequents clear waters whose bottoms are covered with marine phanerogam meadows on the west coast of Madagascar. Their meat being very appreciated by local fishermen, they are strongly hunted and consequently have become very rare in our marine and coastal waters. They are classified as 'Vulnerable' in the red list of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
 
The green turtle (Chelonia mydas).
The green turtle or 'fanozaty' or 'fanonjoaty' or 'fanobe' by the locals according to the localities. It nests on the sandy beaches of the coasts of Madagascar and their presence indicates the good health of the coral reefs and the marine phanerogam meadows. Exclusively herbivorous, it eats marine phanerogams and algae. As an adult, its size can reach up to 100 cm with a weight of more than 200 kg. (Strong though for a species that swims a lot, one wonders about swimming) Accidentally captured by nets and strongly hunted by local fishermen for their flesh (source of red protein) and their eggs, the population of green turtles is currently in decline, and this species is classified as 'Endangered' in the red list of the IUCN
 
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus).
The 'marokintana' (the shark of a thousand stars), the whale shark is considered the largest fish living on earth, reaching 20 meters in length and a weight of 34 tons. It feeds on microscopic animal and plant organisms suspended in the water. The whale shark is hunted around the world for its meat and fins. Its population is currently declining, and this species is classified as 'Endangered' in the red list of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). 
 
The Napoleon fish (Cheilinus undulatus)
The Napoleon fish is an emblematic species of the coral reefs and is the largest fish in its family, which is why it is called 'giant wrasse'. As an adult, it can reach a size of more than 2 meters and a weight of 190 kg. Among the characteristics of the adults are their big hump on the forehead, the jaws and the prominent lips. It is usually observed in solitary and feeds on mollusks, fish, sea urchins and other invertebrates. It is a territorial species hunting around its living area during the day, and taking refuge in caves at night. This species is very appreciated by fishermen for its meat, especially as it is easy to hunt because of its territoriality. As a result, it is becoming increasingly rare with a declining population, and it is unfortunately classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN red list.
 
The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis)
The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin is one of the cetacean marine mammals that have teeth to catch their prey and a dorsal hump.  As an adult, they can reach a size of 3 meters and a weight of 280 kg. They live in shallow waters, appear in small groups and feed on fish. Their population is currently in decline because of accidental or deliberate capture by fishermen's nets. It is classified 'Vulnerable' in the red list of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
 
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
The humpback whale is recognizable by its entirely black back, its head and its jaw which are covered with small protuberances.  As an adult, it measures up to 18 meters long and weighs up to 30 tons.  At the approach of the southern winter, they leave the polar waters of Antarctica without feeding, to reach the warm and tropical waters of Madagascar, where they reproduce and spend the first weeks of their calf's life. These whales can be seen between June and September off the western and eastern coasts of Madagascar. At the global level, their population has increased, (GG the whale) and therefore it is a species of 'Least Concern' in the red list of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). 
 
The Great Guitar Ray (Rhynchobatus djiddensis)
It is a cartilaginous fish (skeleton made of cartilage) of which sharks are also part. It lives on sandy bottoms, between 2 and 50 meters deep, and can reach a size of 3 m and a weight of more than 200 kg when adult. It feeds mainly on small fish, crustaceans, invertebrates and bivalves. The Big Guitar Ray is a prime target for fishing because its meat is excellent and its high quality fins are highly prized by the Asian market. It is becoming more and more difficult to observe, and the overall population is decreasing. The Bigeye ray is currently classified as Critically Endangered in the red list of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
 
The giant newt or conch newt (Charonia tritonis)
The giant newt, also called 'Antsiva' in local language, is a gastropod mollusc living in coral reef areas. The adults can reach an exceptional size of 50 cm. It feeds on mollusks, crustaceans and starfish. It is the only predator of the starfish Acanthaster planci or crown of thorns, an invasive predatory species of coral reefs, which can destroy large areas of reef. The giant newt is used by Vezo fishermen as a calling horn, but also collected for its beautiful shell, which is sold to tourists. It is becoming increasingly rare to observe, and their overall population is unfortunately declining. The giant newt is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the red list of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
 
Seahorse (Hippocampus borboniensis)
The "Soavalindriaka" or literally Sea horses. The Seahorse is a very small fish (14 cm maximum for this species) with an elongated body covered with rings of bony plates, with the head forming a right angle and a prehensile tail. They move vertically thanks to their dorsal fin, and are most often observed attached by their prehensile tail to an alga or a leaf of marine phanerogams. They use a camouflage technique to blend into the environment where they move and thus escape their predators. these small ones are very clever! They feed on tiny invertebrates and fish larvae that they suck with their small tubular snout. Seahorses are strongly threatened by accidental captures at the bottom of fishing nets, or by direct collection. Individuals are exported by the kilogram to Asian markets. The individuals are dried and generally used in traditional medicines.