Resembling a reddish jellyfish, the Mahajamba Bay in Madagascar is imaged by Copernicus Sentinel-2.
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Situated within the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa and protecting virtually 600 000 sq km, Madagascar is the fourth largest island on the earth.
The Mahajamba Bay, often known as Helodrano Mahajambe, lies in northwest Madagascar on the confluence of two main rivers: the Mahajamba coming into from the south and the Sofia River flowing from northeast. Each rivers then empty into the Mozambique Channel, which separates Madagascar from the African continent.
The Mahajamba river system, as with different river programs in western Madagascar, is distinctive for its reddish-coloured water brought on by sediment from upstream. Throughout heavy rain, the brilliant purple soils are washed from hills into streams and rivers, ultimately reaching the coast. This has additionally been noticed by astronauts on the ISS, who’ve described it as “bleeding into the ocean.” Nonetheless, the bay waters are usually not all the time purple – a mixture of tides and lack of considerable rainfall can rapidly clear the waters.
Zooming into the ‘jellyfish tentacles’ close to the centre of the picture reveals patterns of cultivation and land administration, in addition to an airstrip close to Besakoa, probably the most outstanding settlement seen.
Madagascar is residence to uncommon wildlife, having developed its personal ecosystems and wildlife since splitting from the African continent some 160 million years in the past. The Mahajamba Bay is residence to the biggest mangrove ecosystems on Madagascar’s west coast. Alongside Madagascar’s coastlines, mangroves are probably the most predominant sort of vegetation, offering shelter for mollusc and crustacean communities and serving as a habitat for sea turtles, dugongs and birds.
Along with mangroves, among the world’s most intensive coral reef programs and an enormous array of birds, lemurs, and plenty of different species may be discovered right here. Nonetheless, preserving the nation’s spectacular biodiversity is an ongoing problem.
Lack of soil by deforestation for cultivation and pasture is believed to pose a critical risk to the island’s habitats, and the unlawful wildlife commerce is an extra problem. Madagascar is recognised as one of many highest precedence hotspots for biodiversity, with quite a few worldwide conservation organisations working collectively to protect the island’s distinctive ecosystems.
