Bombetoka Bay

Betsiboka River estuary and Bombetoka Bay seen from space. (North is to the right.)

Bombetoka Bay seen by Spot satellite.

Bombetoka Bayis abayon the northwestern coast ofMadagascarnear the city ofMahajanga,where theBetsiboka Riverflows into theMozambique Channel.Numerousislandsandsandbarshave formed in theestuaryfrom the large amount ofsedimentcarried in by the Betsiboka River and have been shaped by the flow of the river and the push and pull oftides.

Along coastlines and on the islands, the vegetation is predominantlymangroveforests. In fact, Bombetoka Bay is home to some of Madagascar's largest remaining communities of mangroves, which provide shelter for diversemolluskandcrustaceancommunities, as well as habitat forsea turtles,birds,anddugongs.Along the northwest coast of Madagascar, mangroves andcoral reefspartner to create dynamic, diverse coastalecosystems.The mangrove forests capture river-borne sediment that would smother coastal reefs, while reefs buffer the mangroves from poundingsurf.

Near water,shrimpandricefarming are common, whilecoffeeplantationsabound in the surrounding terrain.

Sediment transport and suspension in Bombetoka Bay has significantly changed during the past 30 years, with a dramatic increase in the amount of sediment moved by the Betsiboka river, and deposited in the estuary and in offshore delta lobes. These changes have adversely affected agriculture, fisheries, and transportation for one of Madagascar's largest ports.

References

• "Bombetoka Bay, Madagascar".NASA Earth Observatory.Archived fromthe originalon 2006-09-30.Retrieved2006-05-17.