INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN OCEANOGRAPHY (ITO-98)

GOA, INDIA 12-16 OCTOBER 1998

MANAGING KENYA'S COASTAL RESOURCES: THE MANGROVE MAPPING PROJECT

Harrison Ochieng Onganda Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute P. 0. Box 81651 Mombasa, KENYA Email: recoscix@users.africaonline.co.ke

In order to formulate a management plan for the mangrove forest of Kenya as well as the future monitoring of the mangrove resource, a mapping of the entire mangrove forest of the Kenyan coast was carried out in 1992. The mapping was done through the landscape ecological method.

Mangrove forest occurs along the Kenyan coast and covers approximately 63,000 hectares. The mangrove forest in Kenya generally occurs on alluvial marine or estuarine deposits, frequently deposited on top of the old coral platforms. They are always sheltered from the direct influence of the ocean by either coral outcrops, coral abrasion platforms or barrier dunes. The agro-climatic zones differ from north to south. There is more moisture in the south than in the north. Nutrient content of the coastal water is higher in the north. The soils vary in salinity but are predominantly poorly drained sandy and clay soil.

The various environmental and species differences creates the need to carry out an inventory of the mangrove forest as a basis for an objective planning and management. Various management scenarios are discussed. The results of the mapping are depicted in maps and various statistics composed by means of a GIS program. In addition this GIS dataset is presently now available as a computer database. Further large-scale mapping is recommended as a follow up to this first ever extensive mapping of the Kenyan mangroves.

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