Biodiversity of the mangroves of Kenya: A review

Biodiversity functions are crucial to the planet’s survival and form the cornerstone of sustainable development and human well-being. Defined by distinct abiotic conditions under the influence of nutrient influx from the hinterland and complex coastal hydrological network (Santos et al. 2021), mangrove forests are home to a diverse range of faunal species and unique plant life as well as microbial species.

A structured literature search of sources with information on the biodiversity of the mangroves of Kenya was conducted from 10 July to 18 September 2023, targeting publications between 1960 and 2022. The search terms included ‘biodiversity assessment’, ‘biodiversity status’, ‘mangroves’, and ‘Kenya’. “Google Scholar'' and “Elicit” search engines were used to query for the documents in various online repositories. The following search strategy was applied: Topic AND location/site AND forest type. Topic = (biodiversity, taxa diversity, biodiversity survey/assessment), (“project study sites”, AND Kilifi OR Kwale County, Kenya coastal region), AND (mangrove, coastal terrestrial forests, marine) NOT (seagrass or coral reefs)

The review identified 26 sources documenting biodiversity across 15 mangrove forest areas, with 68% of the studies concentrated in four sites representing about 6% of mangrove cover in Kenya. A total of 1,044 unique taxa belonging to 255 families were identified, with the classes Teleostei, Aves, Chromadorea, and Malacostraca accounting for 84.5% of documented taxa. The study noted that focus has always been on species “easy” to identify and study, ignoring the complex interlinks between species, and as such negating concerted conservation initiatives. It is also noted that the biodiversity of marine ecosystems in the two counties are less studied and under-explored, and studies accounting for mangrove-associated biodiversity surveys are case studies. To effectively preserve existing biodiversity in these sites, a comprehensive assessment of biodiversity is required.