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25 November 2022
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The seas of Mauritius encompasses an exclusive economic zone of 1.9 M km2 with an additional sea territory of 396,000 km2 jointly managed with Seychelles. The Republic of Mauritius includes several tropical islands, the three inhabited ones being Mauritius, Rodrigues, and Agalega. Mauritius is of volcanic origin and dates back to about 8 mya (million years ago). Being the fourth and sixth most densely populated tropical country and globally, respectively, Mauritius has undergone extensive terrestrial and coastal development, including rapid vegetation clearance. Rapid changes in land-use patterns have led to reduction of native forest cover to almost < 2% since colonization back in 1638. The coastal and marine ecosystems have been subjected to both anthropogenic and climate change-driven impacts, which are difficult to separate. In some of the coastal areas, < 5% of live coral cover remains. While the terrestrial and coastal ecosystems of the Republic of Mauritius are quite well studied, the marine ecosystems need further scientific studies and exploration, and also need sustainable and adaptive management strategies in an ever-changing global environmental climate.
