Alula Lagoon

Natural saltwater lagoon in Bari, Somalia
11°59′N 50°47′E / 11.983°N 50.783°E / 11.983; 50.783Typenatural saltwater lagoonOcean/sea sourcesIndian OceanBasin countriesSomaliaMax. length4.13 miles (6.65 km)Max. width0.78 miles (1.26 km)Surface area3 km2 (1.2 sq mi)Islandsmany islands and isletsSettlementsAlula

Alula Lagoon is a large shallow lagoon in the northeastern Bari region of Puntland state of Somalia. The northernmost point in the country, it is mostly covered with mangroves.

Overview

Facing the Gulf of Aden, the lagoonal mangrove lies behind a barrier island.[1] It is located northeast of Alula, the northernmost town in Somalia. The lagoon is surrounded by mangrove bushes, and appears to correspond with the "large laurel-grove called Acannae" described by the 1st century CE Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.[2]

Rhizophora mucronata and Avicennia marina are the predominant mangrove species found in the lagoon.

References

  1. ^ Spalding, Mark; Kainuma, Mami; Collins, Lorna (2010). World Atlas of Mangroves. London: Earthscan. ISBN 1849776601.
  2. ^ Chittick, Neville (1975). An Archaeological Reconnaissance of the Horn: The British-Somali Expedition. pp. 117–133.

External links

  • Monitoring of Mangroves in Somalia (Puntland, Somaliland and South Central Somalia[permanent dead link]