This area was above sea level a hundred million years ago, and was covered by temperate forests of trees related to the yellowwoods. Fossil tree trunks from some of these trees were seen from the submersible "JAGO" during explorations off Kleinsee in 1997. In 2014 the area was recognised as an ecologically and biologically significant area of global importance.[1]
A marine protected area is defined by the IUCN as "A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values".[2]
This MPA is specifically intended to protect the fossil forest.[3][1]
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Extent
The MPA is about 15 nautical miles offshore west of Namaqualand, Northern Cape, between Kleinsee and Port Nolloth, in the 120 to 150m depth range.[1] Area of sea protected by the MPA is 1200km2[1]
The marine protected areas of South Africa are the responsibility of the national government, which has management agreements with a variety of MPA management authorities, which manage the MPAs with funding from the SA Government through the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA).[2]
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is responsible for issuing permits, quotas and law enforcement.[5]
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Use
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Geography
The known extent of the fossil forest is an outcrop of fossilized yellowwood trees on the seabed of about 2km2 The depth range is 136–140m. It is likely that this feature is significantly larger. The fossil tree trunks have been colonized by fragile scleractinian corals, confirmed by images from submersible surveys. The site has not yet been mined, but may be inside a current diamond mining lease area. Hard grounds north of known fossil forest may also be part of this feature.[3]
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Ecology
Marine ecoregions of the South African Exclusive Economic Zone: Namaqua Fossil Forest Marine Protected Area is in the Benguela ecoregion
(describe position, biodiversity and endemism of the region) The MPA is in the warm temperate Benguela ecoregion to the west of Cape Point which extends northwards to the Orange River. There are some species endemic to South Africa along this coastline.[6]
(check below for applicability) Three major habitats exist in the sea in this region, two of them distinguished by the nature of the substrate. The substrate, or base material, is important in that it provides a base to which an organism can anchor itself, which is vitally important for those organisms which need to stay in one particular kind of place. Rocky shores and reefs provide a firm fixed substrate for the attachment of plants and animals. Sedimentary bottoms are a relatively unstable substrate and cannot anchor many of the larger benthic organisms. Finally there is open water, above the substrate and clear of the kelp forest, where the organisms must drift or swim. Mixed habitats are also frequently found, which are a combination of those mentioned above.[7] There are no significant estuarine habitats in the MPA.
Rocky reefs There are rocky reefs and mixed rocky and sandy bottoms. For many marine organisms the substrate is another type of marine organism, and it is common for several layers to co-exist.[7]:Ch.2
The type of rock of the reef is of some importance, as it influences the range of possibilities for the local topography, which in turn influences the range of habitats provided, and therefore the diversity of inhabitants. Sandstone and other sedimentary rocks erode and weather very differently, and depending on the direction of dip and strike, and steepness of the dip, may produce reefs which are relatively flat to very high profile and full of small crevices. These features may be at varying angles to the shoreline and wave fronts. There are fewer large holes, tunnels and crevices in sandstone reefs, but often many deep but low near-horizontal crevices.
Sedimentary bottoms (including silt, mud, sand, shelly, pebble and gravel bottoms) Sedimentary bottoms at first glance appear to be fairly barren areas, as they lack the stability to support many of the spectacular reef based species, and the variety of large organisms is relatively low. The sediment can be moved around by water action, to a greater or lesser degree depending on weather conditions and exposure of the area. This means that sessile organisms must be specifically adapted to areas of relatively loose substrate to thrive in them, and the variety of species found on a sedimentary bottom will depend on all these factors. Unconsolidated sedimentary bottoms have one important compensation for their instability, animals can burrow into the sand and move up and down within its layers, which can provide feeding opportunities and protection from predation. Other species can dig themselves holes in which to shelter, or may feed by filtering water drawn through the tunnel, or by extending body parts adapted to this function into the water above the sand.[7]:Ch.3
The open sea The pelagic water column is the major part of the living space at sea. This is the water between the surface and the top of the benthic zone, where living organisms swim, float or drift, and the food chain starts with phytoplankton, the mostly microscopic photosynthetic organisms that convert the energy of sunlight into organic material which feeds nearly everything else, directly or indirectly. In temperate seas there are distinct seasonal cycles of phytoplankton growth, based on the available nutrients and the available sunlight. Either can be a limiting factor. Phytoplankton tend to thrive where there is plenty of light, and they themselves are a major factor in restricting light penetration to greater depths, so the photosynthetic zone tends to be shallower in areas of high productivity.[7]:Ch.6Zooplankton feed on the phytoplankton, and are in turn eaten by larger animals. The larger pelagic animals are generally faster moving and more mobile, giving them the option of changing depth to feed or to avoid predation, and to move to other places in search of a better food supply.
Marine species diversity
As of 2014, little is known about the ecology and biodiversity of the MPA. There are habitat forming corals and a newly described (2017) habitat-forming sponge is present in the area..[3]
Endemism
The MPA is in the cool temperate Benguela ecoregion to the west of Cape Point which extends northwards to the Orange River. There are species endemic to South Africa along this coastline.[6]
Threats
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See also
Marine protected areas of South Africa{{Cite journal|title=MPA Declarations |issue=10177 |journal=Regulation Gazette No. 42478 |volume=647 |date=23 May 2019 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/MPA-declarations.pdf |publisher=Government Printer |location=Pretoria }}{{Cite web |title=Protected Areas Register |url=https://dffeportal.environment.gov.za/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7e27f116dd194c1f9d446dacc76fe483 |website=dffeportal.environment.gov.za |access-date=10 July 2022}}
The Browns Bank Corals Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa.
The Robberg Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa, near Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape province.
The Goukamma Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region near Knysna in the Western Cape province in the territorial waters of South Africa
The Port Elizabeth Corals Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region south of Port Elizabeth in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa
The Agulhas Front Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa.
The Robben Island Marine Protected Area is an inshore and offshore conservation region around and near Robben Island in Table Bay in the territorial waters of South Africa.
The Orange Shelf Edge Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region near the edge of the continental shelf in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa off the north coast of the Northern Cape province.
The Benguela Muds Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region on the continental slope of the west coast in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa.
The Childs Bank Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa
The Browns Bank Complex Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa
The Southwest Indian Seamount Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa.
The Benguela Bank Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa
The Hluleka Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa
The Jutten Island Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa in Saldanha Bay, in the Western Cape.
The Namaqua National Park Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in Namaqualand in the Northern Cape province in the territorial waters of South Africa. It is closely associated with the Namaqua National Park, with which it has a common border and management.
The Malgas Island Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region encompassing Malgas Island, in the territorial waters of South Africa at the entrance to Saldanha Bay on the west coast of the Western Cape province.
The Stilbaai Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters near Stilbaai on the south coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa.
The Sixteen Mile Beach Marine Protected Area is a coastal conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa, near Saldanha Bay on the Western Cape coast. The MPA is part of the West Coast National Park which is the core component of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve.
The Amathole Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa, near East London on the coast of the Eastern Cape.
The Trafalgar Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa in kwaZulu-Natal, between Port Edward and Margate.
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