Estuaries_SouthCoast

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This region has a bimodal rainfall pattern. It constitutes a transition between the cold temperate South West Coast and the warmer subtropical East Coast. The Agulhas bank is a large mixing area between the cold Benguela and the warm Agulhas currents.

The coast consists of a succession of halfheart bays, opening towards the south- east. The coast to the west of Port Elizabeth is flatter than that towards the east, where the coastline is dominated by a raised coastal platform. 

This region’s biota is characterised by high species diversity, but not many species occur in such high magnitudes that it can be exploited. Fishing consists mainly of lobster, demersal fish (hake and sole), pelagic fish and chokka squid.

Physical Features

Ecology

Vegetation

References:
Acknowledgement: Some information and photographic material on this page were obtained from a CD-Rom application developed by WAMTechnology cc during 1998 for the Lisbon ’98 Expo. The project was sponsored by the South African Communication Services in cooperation with the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and the Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism. Numerous organizations and persons supplied material (Dr. Dirk van Driel, SATOER and the CSIR were major the contributors of photographic material).


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