Beh J. H. M. auteur aut IRD Sadio O. auteur aut IRD Mbega J. D. auteur aut IRD Tchinga G. auteur aut IRD Tsinga F. auteur aut IRD Leboulanger Christophe auteur aut IRD Lasram F. B. auteur aut IRD Tito de Morais Luis auteur aut IRD Le Loc'h François auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access Marine spatial planning and management processes are important tools for environmental and resource management, providing effective frameworks for considering environmental, social, cultural, institutional and economic variables within a common biogeographic context. The Akanda National Park (ANP) in Gabon, almost exclusively constituted by mangroves, is part of a green belt of protected areas around the capital city of Libreville. The creation of the ANP is considered as an essential tool for the ecosystemic management of fisheries in Mondah Bay, playing nursery function for several exploited fish species. However, this role has never been documented in the mangroves of Gabon. The aim of this study is to describe the spatial and seasonal variability of fish assemblages, to assess ANP mangrove role as a nursery for fish juveniles. Fish sampling was carried out at four different sites in the four hydroclimatic seasons in Gabon using trammel gillnets with different mesh size (10, 27 and 40 mm). Fifty-nine fish species mainly estuarine and marine, first and second level predators were collected whatever the season and the site. The numerically dominant species were Pseudotolithus elongatus, Pellonula leonensis and Parachelon grandisquamis (48% of the total number of individuals), whereas P. elongatus, Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus and Plectorhinchus macrolepis represented the main biomasses (55%). The predominance in the catches of immature individuals of many species of commercial interest and in particular, P. elongatus, P. grandisquamis, C. nigrodigitatus, Eucinostomus melanopterus, Neochelon falcipinnis and Polydactylus quadrifilis, which dominate the community, highlights the importance of Akanda mangrove as a nursery for the juveniles of these species. The results of our study are a first step in understanding the fish communities of a Gabon marine protected area, which can support the decision making management plans, zonation and initiate a monitoring program for the estuarine and marine protected ecosystems. specialized Diversity Communities Mangroves Conservation Nursery Fisheries GABON 040 034 59 102805 [16 ] 2023 2352-4855 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010087633 10.1016/j.rsma.2022.102805 2352-4855 [F B010087633] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010087633 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2023-06/010087633.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2023-06-30 2025-02-24 fdi:010087633 fre