PONTA DO OURO PARTIAL MARINE RESERVE

GENERAL DISCRIPTION

The Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine  Reserve (PPMR) was gazetted in  14 July 2009 (Decree 42/2009). The Reserve  has  a total area of 678 km2,  and was proclaimed with the objective of  “preserving  and protecting  marine and coastal species and their  habitats”. These include vegetated    dunes (amongst the highest in the world!), sandy beaches, sub-tidal rocky  reefs with extensive coral communities, tidal flats, mangroves and  seagrass beds. Iconic  species in the reserve include marine turtles  (4 species  of which 2 nest in the  reserve),  dolphins, whales, the rare  and  endangered dugong, the whale shark  and a  diverse and interesting reef  fauna.

LOCATION & LIMITS

The PPMR is located in southern Mozambique (Matutuine  district) and is  an important component  of Maputaland's Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area. The Reserve starts at  the hight tide mark and extends (in the Indian Ocean  side), as far out as 3 nm. The southern limit is the border with South Africa,  and it  runs north to include Inhaca and Portuguese islands, from which it  extends south all the way to the the Maputo  river mouth. In the Maputo Bay side, the reserve extends from the high tide  mark up to 1 nm. Therefore, the  marine  reserve at Inhaca/Portuguese islands have been incorporated into the  PPMR. The Reserve's headquarters is located  in Ponta do Ouro, but outposts  exists at  Ponta Milibangalala and one is to be established in Machangulo. - Text by John F