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St. Michael's College

Publication Date

Spring 2013

Program Name

Tanzania: Zanzibar: Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management

Abstract

The fish species richness of two mangrove forests adjacent to non-extractive and extractive zones, respectively, was investigated on Misali Island, Tanzania. Observations were done at each site for seven samplings, recording the different species observed upon each visit. A general list of species found in the intertidal area was also composed to get an idea of what species use this region as well. A total of twenty-four species were observed between the two sites, leading to a similarity index of 0.29, representing very little similarity between the two stands. Two different diversity indices (Shannon-Wiener and Simpson’s) also supported the hypothesis that the CORE zone has a more diverse range of fish species than its counterpart area, while the richness index showed that the CORE zone was nearly threefold greater in fish species. These results may be caused by the physical, biological, and human impact dissimilarities between the two areas, allowing for a difference in fish species entering each area.

Disciplines

Natural Resources and Conservation | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology

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