A Guide to Marine Biodiversity: Madagascar

About this book

Madagascar is world-renowned for its unique terrestrial biodiversity, which has been the inspiration of naturalists for centuries and remains so for conservationists today. Madagascar’s marine biodiversity has received markedly less scientific attention. Although levels of endemism are low in marine environments, Madagascar’s size and tropical location in the Western Indian Ocean make it an important regional centre for marine biodiversity.

Building upon a foundation of ecological and oceanographic knowledge laid by French scientists working in Madagascar in the 1960s and 70s, the author and contributors have drawn from an extensive array of published and unpublished sources, including the latest research in marine ecology, oceanography and climate change, to provide a comprehensive and informative introduction to the marine biodiversity of Madagascar, with historical depth yet a modern, ecosystem-based, perspective.

The guide is richly illustrated by the underwater photographs of Jürg Brand, whose images capture the full range of Madagascar’s marine biodiversity, from the grand oceanic seascapes of the offshore reefs and marine megafauna to the minutest, colourful details of the marine invertebrates. Some high-quality images from other photographers fill the few remaining gaps.

In the last 10 years, interest in marine conservation has risen exponentially in Madagascar. Almost a dozen new marine protected areas have been designated since 2000 and all the major international NGOs now have substantial marine conservation programs. Fisheries management authorities and private operators are also playing an important part. This book should be welcomed by marine conservation professionals, fisheries managers, scientists, students, divers and anyone with an interest in Madagascar’s marine environment.

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