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This wetland became part of the Ramsar Convention on the 25^th of April 1988.  The Langebaan Lagoon (approximately 6 000ha) is situated on the west coast of South Africa, within the West Coast National Park (approximately 27 000ha) about 100 km northwest of Cape Town (33°06'S, 18°01' E), adjoining the coastal village of Langebaan.

The Langebaan Lagoon comprises:

• The intertidal sandflats.

• Marshlands and Geelbek annex (5 7000 ha).

• Precincts of the lagoon (46 ha).

• The inshore islands: Jutten (43 ha), Marcus (17 ha) and Scaapen (19 ha).

• A section of Sixteen-mile beach bordering on the farm Stofbergfontein (100 ha).

Classification of these wetlands includes:

• Shallow marine waters.

• Marine beds.

• Rocky shores.

• Sand/shingle shores (including dune systems).

• Tidal mudflats (including intertidal flats and saltflats).

• Salt marshes.

• Coastal brackish/saline lagoons.

• Saline/brackish lakes/marshes: seasonal/ intermittent.

• Freshwater marshes/pools: seasonal/intermittent.

The entire inter- and subtidal lagoon and approximately 70 percent of the land on its immediate perimeter is controlled by National Parks Board and private contractual parks. The rest is owned by the South African Defence Force, Langebaan Municipality , private land owner and companies.

The lagoon is divided into three different utilization zones namely:

• The wilderness zone includes the southern end of the lagoon and the inshore islands, which are the key refuge sites of the waders and breeding seabird populations respectively. Access to these areas is limited to a few scientists and participants of educational excursions organised by National Parks Board and it is restricted to certain sites.

• The limited recreation zone includes the middle reaches of the lagoon, where activities such as sailing and canoeing are permitted.

• The mouth region is a multi-purpose recreation zone for power boats, yachts, water-skiers and fishermen. However, no collecting or removal of perlemoen and crayfish is allowed in the lagoon. This legislation and protection of the waterfowl are effectively maintained by the National Parks Board.

Farming activities inland do not significantly influence the lagoon system.

The larger Saldanha town (15 km from Langebaan) has a large commercial fishing harbour and tow fish processing factories.

In 1995, the main habitat and vegetation types of the lagoon were:

• A shallow marine aquatic system - having a soft substratum, which is unvegetated, except for large beds of the alga Gracilaria verrucosa near the mouth of the lagoon, and the Zostera capensis near the southern end of the lagoon.

• Unvegetated intertidal sandflats - consisting of unconsolidated sand.

• Rocky islands - having little soil cover and sparse vegetation in summer.

• Intertidal saltmarshes - with Chenolea - Salicornia dwarf succulent scrubland.

• "Supratidal" Marshes - with Juncus krausii sedgeland.

• Most of the plant communities bordering the lagoon are shrublands (dwarf restioid or evergreen) belonging to the West Coast Strandveld, a vegetation type which is seriously threatened by agricultural activities and urban development.

The invertebrate fauna of the intertidal mudflats are an important food source for waders. The snail Assiminea globulus, which comprises about 62,5 percent of the invertebrate biomass in the surface layers of the intertidal mudflats (Ref. 4), is the major prey item of the dominant curlew sandpiper (Ref. 5). The deeper burrowing mud prawn Upogebia africana is important to the kelp gull (Larus dominicanus), grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola), whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) and common tern (Sterna hirundo) (Ref. 6), while the sand prawn (Callianassa kraussi) is the bait organism most frequently used by anglers in the lagoon    (Ref. 7).

Langebaan Lagoon supports approximately 37 000 birds in summer, of which about 34500 are waders (93% of these are Palaearctic migrants) with Curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) (59,2%), Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola) (10,5%), Sanderling (Calidris alba) (8,3%), Knot (Calidris canutus) (8,1%) and Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) (5,7%) being the most abundant (Underhill 1987). In winter the numbers decline to about 10500 birds, which include approximately 3900 waders and 4515 flamingos (Phoenicipterus ruber and P. minor) (Ref. 9).

• The inshore islands support large breeding colonies of "piscivorous" (fish eating) seabird which:

• Langebaan Lagoon supports approximately 37 000 birds in summer, of which about 34500 are waders (93% of these are Palaearctic migrants) with Curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) (59,2%), Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola) (10,5%), Sanderling (Calidris alba) (8,3%), Knot (Calidris canutus) (8,1%) and Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) (5,7%) being the most abundant (Underhill 1987). In winter the numbers decline to about 10500 birds, which include approximately 3900 waders and 4515 flamingos (Phoenicipterus ruber and P. minor) (Ref. 9).

• The inshore islands support large breeding colonies of "piscivorous" (fish eating) seabird which:

Compared with the more tropical regions of southern Africa, the South West Cape has a depauperate mammal fauna. Nevertheless the area surrounding Langebaan Lagoon has rodents (19 species), insectivores (11 species), carnivores (13 species) and antelope (10 species), and although the "populations" are small, the following Red Data Book Species have been recorded (Ref. 14) as vulnerable Aardvark (Orycteropus afer), Honey badger (Mellivora capensis) and African wild cat (Felis lybica).  Rare red data species were the Bontebok (Damaliscus dorcas dorcas) and Grant's golden mole (Eremitalpa granti).

The lagoon, which is perennial and entirely marine, has a strong tidal exchange with no marked seasonal variation in flow.

  The mean annual precipitation is 250 mm, falling mainly in winter

The Saldanha-Sishen terminal has the potential of "causing" a major oil spill, as well as long-term, windblown, ore dust pollution, and thereby the food source of the waders. Likewise, commercial fishing activities in the seabird colonies and recreational activities in the area could become a major disturbance factor.

• The building of a breakwater in the late 1970's between the mainland and Marcus island, which enabled predators to invade the penguins, swift, terns and bank cormorants colonies on the island.

• The collecting of guano on the inshore islands until the mid 1980's.

• Ongoing military activities at Donkergat, near the mouth of the lagoon.

• The processing activities at Donkergat, near the mouth of the lagoon.

• The introduction of rabbits onto the inshore islands, (only Scaapen and Jutten islands have significant numbers left).

• The spread of the alien wattle (Acacia cyclops) and mussel (Mytilys galloprovincialis) into the wilderness zone.

• The construction of unapproved dwellings, house boats and a canal at Bokramsloot for the launching of boats at the southern end of the lagoon.

• The cultivation of wheat at Oudepos.

Despite these activities the ecosystem is still intact and healthy.

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