The diversity of corals in Madagascar is among the most diverse in the world.
In Madagascar, coral reefs cover an area of more than 2,000 km2.
Stretching from Toliara to Antsiranana and from Cap d’Ambre to Toamasina, they run along a coastline of about 1,400 km.
Coral reefs have taken thousands of years to build the magnificent structures we admire in the warm waters of Madagascar.
The western Indian Ocean, especially the Mozambique Channel between Madagascar and Africa, likely offers one of the greatest biological diversity. Researchers have identified 369 coral species in the Indian Ocean and predict that there could be up to 100 more unidentified coral species. This region could become as biologically diverse as the Great Barrier Reef.
Stunning corals populate the magnificent underwater landscape of Madagascar.
The corals of the Indian Ocean are a unique heritage, boasting many unique and ancient coral lineages found nowhere else on Earth. The evolutionary lineage of the Indian Ocean fauna is older than that of Southeast Asian fauna and the Coral Triangle, with areas of rich marine biodiversity dating back 20 million years.
Corals are ancient animals that have been inherited for up to 50 million years.
Nearly 10 percent of these species are only known in the Indian Ocean.
The coral diversity in the Mozambique Channel, located between Madagascar and the African continent, is particularly high.
These animals (because they are indeed animals and not plants) that can reproduce infinitely, Mother Nature opposes a whole series of destructive elements:
Many coral reefs in the region are threatened by local pressures such as population growth, overfishing, exploitation of fossil fuels, mining, and tourism.
Furthermore, like almost all coral reefs in the world, they are threatened by warming due to climate change and ocean acidification.
Coral reefs and lagoons or mangroves provide a variety of habitats for many species, including colorful fish, shellfish, starfish, sea urchins, sea anemones, and other predators. They serve as a source of food, shelter, and breeding grounds for all, forcing residents to develop social life strategies to survive.
A coral reef can bring together more than 200 different species, becoming a true oasis of life. This fragile ecosystem, this new universe, is the main discovery of the tropical underwater world.
Abundantly photographed and filmed, coral reefs are now the main attraction of underwater tourism. Discover the beauty of the coral reefs of Madagascar with Escap’in Dago!
Most famous and everyone dreams of discovering them while diving along tropical reefs.
Coral Reefs of MADAGASCAR
A coral reef or barrier reef is a natural, biologically built structure consisting mainly of corals. Coral reefs provide ecological niches for many animals to find food, shelter, and protection.
These three coastal environments are much more developed on the west coast than on the east side of the island and are closely interconnected in a network of habitats where diverse life forms coexist.
The mangroves protect the corals from silting by. Retain the river floodplain while the reef mitigates the power of the ocean.
These complementary and easily accessible ecosystems are essential for the survival of many marine species, serving as spawning grounds and nurseries for shrimp and many fish.
Coral Reefs
These polyps (primitive and colonial invertebrate animals) feed on plankton that they catch with their stinging tentacles.
The polyps take shelter in a calcareous skeleton that they secrete themselves.
The reef slowly builds up (1m per millennium) through accumulation of these skeletons.
Many fish species are therefore dependent on them.
Our diving cruises from Nosy Be will take you to the reefs. Explore the Radama Islands or head to the Mitsio Archipelago, where you can admire healthy reefs. These reefs have been able to preserve their beauty due to the absence of industrial pollution and commercial fishing.
Until when will the reef last?
Without rational and sustainable resource management, the stock of harvestable products is decimated and fishing communities become impoverished.
You may turn to other species and ecosystems, which can worsen the expansion of degraded areas.
However, it is known that coral reefs are also carbon sinks and play a crucial role.
Preserving the marine environment is crucial. Once the reef barriers are destroyed, there will be no barrier left between the sea and the coast.
The coastal population will bear the brunt of natural disasters.
