Gulf of Guinea Coastal Forests & Mangroves (AT17) Gulf of Guinea Coastal Forests & Mangroves (AT17) Gulf of Guinea Coastal Forests & Mangroves (AT17) Gulf of Guinea Coastal Forests & Mangroves (AT17)

Image credits: (1) Ndijose, Creative Commons (2) Courtesy of bidsingraceland.com (3) Chuck Moravec, Creative Commons (4) Courtesy of Santiago Oremeno Garcia, ZSL

Gulf of Guinea Coastal Forests & Mangroves bioregion

The bioregion’s land area is provided in units of 1,000 hectares. The protection goal is the combined Global Safety Net (GSN1) areas for the component ecoregions. The protection level indicates the percentage of the GSN goal that is currently protected on a scale of 0-10. N/A means data is not available at this time.

  • 36,264
    Total Land Area (1000 ha)
  • 8
    Number of Ecoregions
  • 60%
    Protection Target
  • 4
    Protection Level

The Gulf of Guinea bioregion, located in the Equatorial Afrotropics, consists of lush tropical forests and mangroves lining the coastline of Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and Nigeria, and includes Bioko, São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón islands. With seven terrestrial ecoregions -- Nigerian Lowland Forests [1], Niger Delta Swamp Forests [2], Cross-Niger Transition Forests [3], Cross-Sanaga-Bioko Coastal Forests [4], Congolian Coastal Forests [5], Mount Cameroon and Bioko Montane Forests [6], São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón Forests [7], Central African Mangroves [8] and adjacent marine areas. These Coastal Forests have been an ancient cradle for Congo’s globally important populations of large forest mammals, including western lowland gorilla, chimpanzee, African forest elephant, and several endemic monkey species. 

The Gulf of Guinea Coastal Forests & Mangroves bioregion is part of the Equatorial Afrotropics subrealm and is made up of eight ecoregions: Nigerian Lowland Forests [1], Niger Delta Swamp Forests [2], Cross-Niger Transition Forests [3], Cross-Sanaga-Bioko Coastal Forests [4], Congolian Coastal Forests [5], Mount Cameroon and Bioko Montane Forests [6], São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón Forests [7], Central African Mangroves [8].

One Earth is dedicated to mobilizing philanthropic capital to protect the ecosystems and peoples of the Afrotropics. Visit the Project Marketplace​ ​to explore projects in this realm that need your support. Learn more about each of the ​Gulf of Guinea Coastal Forests & Mangroves ecoregions below.

African forest elephant

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