Mwewe Island officially, Mwewe Island Marine Reserve (''Kisiwa cha Hifadhi Akiba cha Mwewe'', in

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language official in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa * Swahili culture Swahili culture is the culture of ...

) is a protected, uninhabited island in the Pemba Channel under the

Tanga Marine Reserves The Tanga Marine Reserves System (TMRS) (''Hifahdi Akiba za Bahari ya Tanga'', in Swahili) is a group of marine reserves in the Tanga Region of Tanzania. All TMRs, though, serve as significant sea bird breeding areas. The Tanga Marine Reserves ...

(TMRS) with the IUCN category II located within Mkinga District of Tanga Region in Tanzania. Acoording to oral Digo history, the island was used by some Kirui Island residents, Mwewe Island was eventually purchased by Sultan Bin Athmani of Moa.

Geography and ecology

The primary

biotope A biotope is an area of uniform environmental conditions providing a living place for a specific assemblage of plants and animals. ''Biotope'' is almost synonymous with the term "habitat", which is more commonly used in English-speaking countrie ...

in the Mwewe Island marine reserve is mangrove vegetation. In the island's centre, 6.4 Ha worth of land is covered in vegetation. The island is home to numerous animal and plant populations (not studied). On the west (towards the stream) and on the north, towards Moa, healthier mangrove stands can be seen. Sand buildup in the east has put a strain on the mangroves. The majority of mangrove species were discovered, with

Rhizophora mucronata ''Rhizophora mucronata'' (loop-root mangrove, red mangrove or Asiatic mangrove) is a species of mangrove found on coasts and river banks in East Africa and the Indo-Pacific region. Description ''Rhizophora mucronata'' is a small to medium si ...

and

Sonneratia alba ''Sonneratia alba'' is a mangrove tree in the family Lythraceae. The specific epithet ' is from the Latin meaning "white", referring to the flowers. Description ''S. alba'' grows up to tall with a trunk diameter up to . The cracked to fissured ...

predominating. Pemphis acidula, a rare mangrove species, was widespread in the higher intertidal zone behind other mangrove species, particularly on the island's southern side. On the east and southwest, in the direction of the mainland mangroves, the intertidal zone is considerably less widespread. Digo Fishermen can reach Mwewe Island on foot from communities on the mainland in Moa and Boma wards at spring low tides, just like other islands (Ulenge and Kwale Islands) are. On the southwest side, near streams and mainland mangroves, the intertidal is a mixture of mud and sand; on the seaward side, it is sandy. Algal mats were not observed, and there are no rocky intertidal zones. South of Mwewe Island, there are comparatively less seagrass beds because of the heavy muck on the bottom, strong resuspension, and consequent turbidity. In this area of the Bay, snorkelling revealed a substrate mix of muddy sand that was frequently excavated by critters that burrow, giving the bottom a rough texture and small hills. Seagrass patches and isolated coral patches, largely made up of Porites bomies and a few

Acropora ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef corals r ...

and

Stylophora The stylophorans are an extinct, possibly polyphyletic group allied to the Paleozoic Era echinoderms, comprising the prehistoric cornutes and mitrates. It is synonymous with the subphylum Calcichordata. Their unusual appearances have led to a va ...

species resistant to sediment stress, were visible on the channel. The quantity of the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea Andromeda are abundant on Mwewe. Muhando, C. A. "Biophysical Features in the Northern Tanga Marine Reserves, Tanzania." Marine Parks and Reserves Unit, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. vi (2011).

References

Mkinga District Islands of Tanzania Coastal islands of Tanzania Uninhabited islands of Tanzania Islands of Tanga Region {{TangaTZ-geo-stub