Coastal Ecology and Conservation in French Guiana

Introduction

French Guiana is a French Overseas Department in South America between Surinam and Brazil, about 500 km north of the Amazon estuary. Its continental shelf is strongly influenced by fresh and turbid Amazonian outflow, and the coastal habitats are characterized by mangroves and extensive mud banks. These mangroves are unique due to their proximity to the Amazon River and its highly dynamic coastline. Sandy beaches and rocky shores, unusual in this coast, have interesting habitats for endangered species and communities. The Cayenne area is the only place where the Guiana Shield reaches the ocean between the Amazon River and the Orinoco River (1600 km along the Holocene plain). This paper will focus on three Nature Reserves of the French Guiana coast, with insights into ecosystem functioning and emphasis on conservation of species and communities.

Contributed by DR. GARROUSTE: Researcher at Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN) Paris also Associate Professor and researcher at Toulon University, France. Former Head of the French Guiana office of MNHN (1999-2004) and member of French Guiana Scientific Committee for Natural Heritage. Based on a special seminar presented on 2 March 2006 at the CMBC, University of California San Diego.

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