56 Marine biodiversity of South Africa

The Marine biodiversity of South Africa is the variety of living organisms that live in the seas off the coast of South Africa. It includes genetic, species and ecosystems biodiversity in a range of habitats spread over a range of ecologically varied regions, influenced by the geomorphology of the seabed and circulation of major and local water masses, which distribute both living organisms and nutrients in complex and time-variable patterns.

The Addo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area is a marine conservation area in Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth.

The Agulhas Bank Complex Marine Protected Area is an offshore marine protected area on the continental shelf lying approximately 39 nautical miles southeast of Cape Agulhas off the Western Cape in the Exclusive Economic Zone of South Africa.

The Agulhas Front Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa

The Agulhas Muds Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa.

The Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area is a coastal and offshore marine protected area between the Lovu and Mzimayi estuaries, off the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, South Africa.

The Amathole Offshore Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa

The Benguela Bank Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa

The Benguela Muds Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region on the continental slope of the west coast in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa

The Betty's Bay Marine Protected Area is part of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. It is about 29 km south-east of Gordon's Bay and approximately 37 km north-west of Hermanus on the south-western coast of the Western Cape. It is in the Atlantic Ocean immediately adjacent to the town of Betty's Bay, in the Overstrand Municipal area.

The Browns Bank Complex Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa

The Browns Bank Corals Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa

The Cape Canyon Marine Protected Area is an offshore marine protected area on the continental shelf edge lying approximately 12 nautical miles southwest of Saldanha off the Western Cape in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa.

The Childs Bank Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa

The list of marine cnidarians of South Africa is a list of saltwater species that form a part of the cnidarian fauna of South Africa. This list does not include the freshwater cnidarians. The list follows the SANBI listing on iNaturalist, and does not always agree with WoRMS for distribution.

The list of marine crustaceans of South Africa is a list of saltwater species that form a part of the crustacean fauna of South Africa. This list does not include the freshwater and terrestrial crustaceans. The list follows the SANBI listing on iNaturalist, and does not always agree with WoRMS for distribution.

The De Hoop Marine Protected Area lies between Arniston and the mouth of the Breede River on the south coast of South Africa adjacent to the De Hoop Nature Reserve. The MPA is 51 kilometres long, and extends 5 nautical miles to sea. The whole MPA is a restricted area and is part of the migratory route and calving area for Southern right whales. The area protects habitats for several economically important inshore reef fish species, and ensures the retention of marine biomass in this part of the coast. The limestone coastline is includes archaeological sites and middens that date back centuries. The MPA is close to the Breede River estuary and, provides protection for species like cob that breed in the estuary and then return to the ocean.

The Dwesa-Cwebe Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the Eastern Cape province in the territorial waters of South Africa

The list of echinoderms of South Africa is a list of species that form a part of the echinoderm fauna of South Africa, and includes the starfish, feather stars, brittle stars, sea urchins and sea cucumbers. The list follows the SANBI listing on iNaturalist.

This is a sublist of the List of marine fishes of South Africa for bony fishes recorded from the oceans bordering South Africa. This list comprises locally used common names, scientific names with author citation and recorded ranges. Ranges specified may not be the entire known range for the species, but should include the known range within the waters surrounding the Republic of South Africa.

This is a sub-list of the List of marine Perciform fishes of South Africa for fishes of the suborder Percoidei recorded from the oceans bordering South Africa. This list comprises locally used common names, scientific names with author citation and recorded ranges. Ranges specified may not be the entire known range for the species, but should include the known range within the waters surrounding the Republic of South Africa.

This is a sub-list of the List of marine spiny-finned fishes of South Africa for perch-like fishes recorded from the oceans bordering South Africa. This list comprises locally used common names, scientific names with author citation and recorded ranges. Ranges specified may not be the entire known range for the species, but should include the known range within the waters surrounding the Republic of South Africa.

This is a list of fishes recorded from the oceans bordering South Africa. This list comprises locally used common names, scientific names with author citation and recorded ranges. Ranges specified may not be the entire known range for the species, but should include the known range within the waters surrounding the Republic of South Africa.

This is a sub-list of the List of marine bony fishes of South Africa for spiny-finned fishes recorded from the oceans bordering South Africa. This list comprises locally used common names, scientific names with author citation and recorded ranges. Ranges specified may not be the entire known range for the species, but should include the known range within the waters surrounding the Republic of South Africa.

The list of marine heterobranch gastropods of South Africa is a list of saltwater mollusc species that form a part of the molluscan fauna of South Africa. This list does not include the land or freshwater molluscs.

This list of marine gastropods of South Africa attempts to list all of the sea snails and sea slugs of South Africa, in other words the marine gastropod molluscs of that area. This list is a sub-list of the List of marine molluscs of South Africa.

The Goukamma Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region near Knysna in the territorial waters of South Africa

The Helderberg Marine Protected Area is a small marine conservation area on the north-eastern side of False Bay in the Western Cape province of South Africa, It lies between the mouths of the Lourens River in the Strand, and the Eerste River in Macassar.

The Hluleka Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa

The iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area is a coastal and offshore marine protected area in KwaZulu-Natal from the South Africa-Mozambique border in the north to Cape St Lucia lighthouse in the south.

The Jutten Island Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa near Saldanha, Western Cape

The Langebaan Lagoon Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa

The Malgas Island Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa in the entrance to Saldanha Bay on the west coast of the Western Cape province.

The Marcus Island Marine Protected Area is a inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa

The list of marine animals of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay is a list of marine and shore-based species that form a part of the fauna of South Africa. This list includes animals which either live entirely marine lives, or which spend critical parts of their lives at sea.

The marine ecoregions of the South African exclusive economic zone are a set of geographically delineated regions of similar ecological characteristics on a fairly broad scale, covering the exclusive economic zone along the South African coast.

The list of marine molluscs of South Africa is a list of saltwater species that form a part of the molluscan fauna of South Africa. This list does not include the land or freshwater molluscs.

The Namaqua Fossil Forest Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the territorial waters/exclusive economic zone of South Africa

The Namaqua National Park Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in Namaqualand in the Northern Cape province the territorial waters of South Africa. It is closely associated with the Namaqua National Park, with which it has a common border and management.

The Orange Shelf Edge Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region near the edge of the continental shelf in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa off the north coast of the Northern Cape province.

The Pondoland Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa

The Port Elizabeth Corals Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region south of Port Elizabeth in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa

The Protea Banks Marine Protected Area is a marine conservation area on the continental shelf edge off the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

The Robben Island Marine Protected Area is an inshore and offshore conservation region around and near Robben Island in Table Bay in the territorial waters of South Africa.

The Sardinia Bay Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa

The list of sea spiders of South Africa is a list of species that form a part of the pycnogonid fauna of South Africa. The list follows the SANBI listing on iNaturalist, and does not always agree with WoRMS for distribution.

SeaKeys is a large collaborative marine biodiversity project funded through the Foundational Biodiversity Information Program in South Africa. The purpose of the project is to collect and distribute genetic, species and ecosystem information relating to marine biodiversity in southern Africa, which may be used to support informed decision-making about the marine environment.

This is a list of seaweeds recorded from the oceans bordering The Cape Peninsula in South Africa from Melkbosstrand on the West Coast to Cape Hangklip on the South Coast. This list comprises locally used common names, scientific names with author citation and recorded ranges. Ranges specified may not be the entire known range for the species, but should include the known range within the waters surrounding the Republic of South Africa.

This is a list of red seaweeds recorded from the oceans bordering South Africa. This list comprises locally used common names, scientific names with author citation and recorded ranges. Ranges specified may not be the entire known range for the species, but should include the known range within the waters surrounding the Republic of South Africa.

This is a list of seaweeds recorded from the oceans bordering South Africa. This list comprises locally used common names, scientific names with author citation and recorded ranges. Ranges specified may not be the entire known range for the species, but should include the known range within the waters surrounding the Republic of South Africa.

The Southeast Atlantic Seamounts Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa

The Southwest Indian Seamounts Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa

The list of marine sponges of South Africa is a list of saltwater species that form a part of the poriferan fauna of South Africa. This list does not include the freshwater sponges. The list follows the SANBI listing on iNaturalist, and does not always agree with WoRMS for distribution.

The Stilbaai Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters near Stilbaai on the south coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa.

The uThukela Banks Marine Protected Area is an inshore and offshore conservation region in the territorial waters and exclusive economic zone of South Africa

The Walker Bay Whale Sanctuary Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa in the Western Cape province between Hermanus and Gansbaai