1 A plan comes together

Abstract

Publisher Summary The Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) is situated along the coast of south-westem Africa, stretching from east of the Cape of Good Hope in the south equatorwards to the Angola (Cabinda) Front, near the northern border of Angola. It encompasses one of the four major coastal upwelling ecosystems of the world, which lie at the eastern boundaries of the oceans. The BCLME's distinctive bathymetry, hydrography, chemistry and trophodynamics combine to make it one of the most productive ocean areas in the world. This high level of primary productivity of the BCLME supports an important global reservoir of biodiversity and biomass of zooplankton, fish, sea birds and marine mammals. Near-shore and off-shore sediments hold rich deposits of precious minerals (particularly diamonds), as well as oil and gas reserves. The natural beauties of the coastal regions, many of which are still pristine by global standards, have also enabled the development of significant tourism along parts of the coast. Pollution, poorly planned coastal developments, population pressure and near-shore activities such as mining are, however, resulting in rapid degradation of some vulnerable coastal habitats. International thinking is very much in keeping with the strategy and workplan of the BCLME Program, where a key policy action is the assessment of environmental variability, ecosystem impacts and the improvement of predictability.