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The East African Marine ecoregion is one of the most diverse coral, mangrove, and sea grass complexes in the western Indian Ocean. Many invertebrates and fish are endemic. Coral reefs along the coasts of Kenya, Tanzania, and northern Mozambique from an almost continuous fringing reef, one of the largest of its kind on Earth. The Rufiji Delta found in this ecoregion is one of the most important coastal wetlands in East Africa. It supports approximately 8,000 acres (3,200 hectares) of mangroves, and serves as an important nursery for many marine species in the region.
The Bazaruto National Park, an archipelago off Vilanculos, is home to more than 100 individual dugongs (manatee-like marine mammals) and all five species of sea turtles. Reefs around Mafia alone support 350 species of fish and 40 families of corals. Monsoons influence currents near Southern Somalia. The currents cause upwelling, which cool the water and greatly reduce the number of corals that live here.
Green, loggerhead, and hawksbill turtles paddle around colorful reefs, but dugongs prefer to graze in dense beds of sea grass. Pearl oysters and red helmet shells thrive in warm, clear water, while masked boobies, brown noddies, and roseate and crested terns fly high above. Blainville's and Gervais' beaked whales swim almost everywhere, and humpbacks find quiet places to breed. Crab plovers, African spoonbills, Madagascar fish eagles, and malachite kingfishers hunt around dense mangroves. The Zanzibar butterfly fish which sometimes swims in groups, eats live corals.
Soil erosion, agricultural and domestic pollution, and tourist activities are the major causes of coastal degradation. Deforestation causes erosion that leads to sedimentation, affecting rivers and reefs. Mangroves are exploited for fish and wood. Overfishing and destructive fishing practices are of great concern. The pearl oyster has reportedly been overharvested to the point of virtual extinction, and the red helmet shell has become rare due to collection by the ornamental shell industry.
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