| Abstract |
In addition to protecting coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Kenya have additional biodiversity attributes including; protecting the only remaining population of dugong in Kenya in the Kiunga MPA, protecting key feeding and breeding grounds for sea turtles in the Kiunga, Malindi-Watamu and Mombasa MPAs and protecting part of the largest mangrove forest on the Kenyan coast. Additional important attributes that have not been evaluated include carbon sequestration by coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds, the potential for medicinal products and the recreational and aesthetic value of these areas. Although no country-wide geographical prioritization of biodiversity has been carried out in Kenya, the high dependence of coastal communities on marine resources, the importance of MPAs for tourism (the mainstay of the Kenyan economy), fisheries and biodiversity and other ecosystem services, and the serious threat of climate change on coral reefs and associated ecosystems increase the urgency for strengthening the management of Kenyan MPAs. |
