On Moiá-Moiá beach, the white sand is practically covered with seaweed, pushed by currents from the Cabo Verdean bay, where researchers have discovered a coral reef of about 1,000 square metres that needs to be preserved.
“The area is particularly rich in corals and other biodiversity because of the constant flow of water. Here the currents are usually powerful and always renew the waters, bringing fish and eliminating possible pollution,” Wlodzimierz Szymaniak, a Pole who has lived in Cabo Verde for many years and who dived to the depths of Moiá-Moiá bay, in the municipality of São Domingos, in the eastern part of Santiago Island, describes to Lusa to discover the hard coral reef.
He monitored the reef for months in partnership with the Cabo Verdean Ecotourism Association (ECOCV), which considered this to be one of the “most remarkable discoveries” this year, estimating that the reef has approximately an area of up to 1000 square metres.
“Here was a good surprise because diving, researching on seagrasses, we discovered a vast zone of stony corals, with the scientific name ‘Sidastrea radians’,” said Edita Magileviciute, marine biologist and vice-president of ECOCV.
Szymaniak, dean of Cabo Verde’s Jean Piaget University and one of the biggest enthusiasts and practitioners of diving off the archipelago’s coasts, said that the discovery was only possible after much preparation and research work.
“In this case, I discovered Moiá-Moiá Bay through old books, for example, the books of Cristiano de Sena Barcelos,” he explained in an interview at the site, which to the north has the Alcatraz church and further south the Ponta Leste lighthouse, from the 19th century.
“Nowadays, this area is almost completely forgotten and degraded by illegal sand extraction, but in the old days, it was well described in navigation books and mentioned on maps because it was perilous for ships,” he says, pointing to the Pentalina B, which ran aground in this bay in June 2014, and whose hull is still in place.
The name Moiá-Moiá, according to the researcher, comes from the Portuguese ‘wet’, recalling that when a ship sank there, usually the populations in the vicinity, currently about two hundred, would show little solidarity and pillage the cargo.
“Often, it was corn or cereals, which, wet, had to be sold at very attractive prices because they spoiled very easily, hence the Creole word ‘moiá’, which means low price, and the name of the bay and the village,” explains Wlodzimierz Szymaniak.
Functioning as the ‘barometer’ of pollution and important for safeguarding the biological balance, the university professor points to the “authentic carpet” of corals of Moiá-Moiá. He has also discovered many underwater archaeological remains in this area, namely ancient anchors and cannons from the 16th and 17th centuries.
“It is a vibrant area culturally and biologically, and one that deserves more attention from all of us,” he said, guaranteeing that he will continue to dive there to discover the “many surprises” in Cabo Verde.
A work always in partnership with ECOCV, which since 2015 has a plan for coral management and conversion in Cabo Verde, but which needs to be put into practice.
“So the second step is to do more research, identify the severity of the impacts, such as pollution and sand extraction in the coastal area, the impact of these algae and make a specific mapping of these corals and other associated species,” said Edita Magileviciut, considering that the bay is significant for the biodiversity of corals in the archipelago.
As it exists in the islands of São Vicente and Boa Vista, the marine biologist does not rule out the possibility of having a coral cove in Moiá-Moiá. Still, she warned about the many threats to these species, with pollution of all kinds, from plastic bags and bottles, fishing nets, and the illegal extraction of sand, degrading the site.
“This habitat is very sensitive, so we must do more research, educate the populations, raise awareness, and increase conservation activities. Because otherwise, we will lose it,” warned the member of ECOCV, created in 2015 by a group of professionals from different areas to conserve the environment in Cabo Verde.
The most important thing, according to the researcher, is that these corals “are more or less healthy”, but in this season, the ‘sargassum’ algae reproduce a lot, cover the sea surface, preventing light from penetrating the water, causing the death of these species.
“The important message is that all species in the sea, like on land, are connected; if we lose corals, we lose our coastlines, breeding grounds for commercially important fish, endemic fish, and all that. So, by protecting one species of coral, we protect the ecosystem”, the biologist concluded.
