Territorializing Aquatic Biodiversity: Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) and Elasmobranch Distribution in the Kango Estuary (Gabon)
Keywords:
Elasmobranchs; Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK); Komo Estuary; Gabon; environmental geography
Abstract
Elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) are ecologically and socio-economically important, yet their distribution in Central African estuarine systems remains poorly documented. This study investigated the spatial and seasonal distribution of elasmobranchs in the Komo Estuary (Kango, Gabon) using Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) derived from semi-structured interviews with 30 artisanal fishers, complemented by participatory mapping and GIS analyses. Four species consistently reported by fishers, Fontitrygon ukpam (F. ukpam), Fontitrygon margaritella (F. margaritella), Carcharhinus leucas (C. leucas), and Sphyrna lewini (S. lewini), were treated as focal because they represented all elasmobranch taxa detected in the system and accounted for 100% of observations. Among them, F. ukpam was the most widespread and frequently cited (40 ± 5% of all mentions, CI: 95%), occurring from the estuary to upstream freshwater zones. F. margaritella represented 20 ± 7% (CI: 95%) of reports and, together with C. leucas (≈10 ± 3%, CI: 95%), was concentrated in warm, saline lower-estuary waters. S. lewini was rarely reported (<5% of occurrences). Although no statistically significant differences were detected between wet- and dry-season assemblages, the dry season exhibited a descriptive tendency toward slightly higher richness. Temperature and salinity emerged as key abiotic drivers, while prey availability, turbidity, and fishing pressure likely modulated species distributions. Spatial analyses highlighted localized aggregation zones not detectable through conventional surveys, demonstrating the value of LEK as a robust spatial dataset. Beyond documenting ecological patterns, fisher knowledge also reflected lived territorialities, linking species ecology to the social appropriation of aquatic environments. This study underscores the dual ecological and geographical relevance of LEK, clarifies species–environment relationships in a data-poor estuarine system, and identifies priority sectors for future monitoring and co-management.
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References
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3. Barletta, M., Barletta-Bergan, A., Saint-Paul, U., & Hubold, G. (2005). The role of salinity in structuring the fish assemblages in a tropical estuary. Journal of Fish Biology, 66(1), 45–72. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-1112.2005.00582.x
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5. Berkström, C., Papadopoulos, M., Jiddawi, N. S., & Nordlund, L. M. (2019). Fishers’ Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) on connectivity and seascape management. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 130. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00130
6. Blaber, S. J. M. (2013). Fishes and fisheries in tropical estuaries: The last 10 years. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 135, 57–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2012.11.002
7. Cardiec, F., Bertrand, S., Witt, M. J., Metcalfe, K., Godley, B. J., McClellan, C., Vilela, R., Parnell, R. J., & Le Loc’h, F. (2020). “Too big to ignore”: A feasibility analysis of detecting fishing events in Gabonese small-scale fisheries. PLOS ONE, 15(6), e0234091. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234091
8. Chikina, M. V., Tarasova, E. N., Berezina, N. A., & Maximov, A. A. (2023). Decadal stability of macrobenthic zonation along the salinity gradient in the Neva Estuary (Baltic Sea). Diversity, 15(6), 754. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15060754
9. Cloern, J. E., Jassby, A. D., Schraga, T. S., Nejad, E., & Martin, C. (2017). Ecosystem variability along the estuarine salinity gradient: Examples from long-term study of San Francisco Bay. Limnology and Oceanography, 62(S1), S272–S291. https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.10537
10. Constance, J. M., Garcia, E. A., Pillans, R. D., Udyawer, V., & Kyne, P. M. (2024). A review of the life history and ecology of euryhaline and estuarine sharks and rays. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 34(1), 65–89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-023-09807-1
11. Cross, H. (2015). Elasmobranch capture by commercial small-scale fisheries in the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau. Fisheries Research, 168, 105–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2015.03.018
12. Dedman S, Moxley JH, Papastamatiou YP, Braccini M, Caselle JE, Chapman DD, Cinner JE, Dillon EM, Dulvy NK, Dunn RE, Espinoza M, Harborne AR, Harvey ES, Heupel MR, Huveneers C, Graham NAJ, Ketchum JT, Klinard NV, Kock AA, Lowe CG, MacNeil MA, Madin EMP, McCauley DJ, Meekan MG, Meier AC, Simpfendorfer CA, Tinker MT, Winton M, Wirsing AJ, Heithaus MR. Ecological roles and importance of sharks in the Anthropocene Ocean. Science. 2024 Aug 2;385(6708):adl2362. doi: 10.1126/science.adl2362. Epub 2024 Aug 2. PMID: 39088608.
13. Delhumeau, P. (1969). Notice explicative n°36: Carte pédologique de reconnaissance à 1/200000, feuille Libreville–Kango. ORSTOM.
14. Dulvy, N. K., Simpfendorfer, C. A., Davidson, L. N. K., Fordham, S. V., Bräutigam, A., Sant, G., & Welch, D. J. (2017). Challenges and priorities in shark and ray conservation. Current Biology, 27(11), R565–R572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.04.038
15. Every, S. L., Fulton, C. J., Pethybridge, H. R., Kyne, P. M., & Crook, D. A. (2019). A Seasonally Dynamic Estuarine Ecosystem Provides a Diverse Prey Base for Elasmobranchs. Estuaries and Coasts, 42(2), 580‑595. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-018-0458-8
16. Fleming, C. H., & Calabrese, J. M. (2016). A new kernel density estimator for accurate home‐range and species‐use area estimation. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 8(5), 571–579. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12673
17. Gausmann, P. (2021). Synopsis of global fresh and brackish water occurrences of the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas Valenciennes, 1839 (Pisces : Carcharhinidae), with comments on distribution and habitat use. Integrative Systematics: Stuttgart Contributions to Natural History, 4(1), 55‑213. https://doi.org/10.18476/2021.423083
18. Getis, A., & Ord, J. K. (1992). The analysis of spatial association by use of distance statistics. Geographical Analysis, 24(3), 189–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1538-4632.1992.tb00261.x
19. Grant, M. I., Kyne, P. M., Simpfendorfer, C. A., White, W. T., & Chin, A. (2019). Categorising use patterns of non-marine environments by elasmobranchs and a review of their extinction risk. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 29(3), 689-710. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-019-09576-w
20. Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Methods, 18(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05279903
21. Heupel, M. R., Knip, D. M., Simpfendorfer, C. A., & Dulvy, N. K. (2014). Sizing up the ecological role of sharks as predators. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 495, 291–298. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps10597
22. Jabado, R. W., Chartrain, E., De Bruyne, G., Derrick, D., Diop, M., Doherty, P., Keith Diagne, L., Leurs, G. H. L., Metcalfe, K., Sayer, C., Seidu, I., Tamo, A., VanderWright, W. J., & Williams, A. B. (2021). Fontitrygon ukpam. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2021: e.T39414A104174049.https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T39414A104174049.en
23. Johannes, R. E., Freeman, M. M. R., & Hamilton, R. J. (2008). Ignore fishers’ knowledge and miss the boat. Fish and Fisheries, 1(3), 257–271. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2979.2000.00019.x
24. Kennish, M. J. (2021). Drivers of change in estuarine and coastal marine environments: An overview. Open Journal of Ecology, 11(3), 224–239. https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2021.113017
25. Khojasteh, D., Rao, S., McSweeney, S., Ibaceta, R., Nicholls, R. J., French, J., Glamore, W., Largier, J. L., Adams, J., Hughes, M. G., Barry, M., Power, H. E., Du, J., Tucker, T. A., Cienfuegos, R., Catalan, P. A., & Hanslow, D. (2025). Intermittent estuaries deserve global attention as vulnerable and vital ecosystems. Communications Earth & Environment, 6, 443. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02428-5
26. Laprise, R., & Dodson, J. J. (1994). Environmental variability as a factor controlling spatial patterns in distribution and species diversity of zooplankton in the St. Lawrence Estuary. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 107, 67–81. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps107067
27. Lefebvre, H. (1974). La production de l’espace. Éditions Anthropos.
28. Leeney, R., & Downing, N. (2015). Sawfishes in The Gambia and Senegal – shifting baselines over 40 years. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 25(5), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.2545
29. Lerique, J. (1965). Hydrologie du bassin du Komo (Gabon). Cahiers ORSTOM, Série Hydrologie, 2(1), 45–62.
30. Maloba Makanga, J. D. (2010). Les précipitations au Gabon : Climatologie analytique en Afrique. L’Harmattan.
31. Mvomo Minko, Y. I., Sadio, O., Mbega, J.-D., Schaal, G., & Le Loc’h, F. (2025). Length–weight relationships of elasmobranchs caught by artisanal fisheries from southern Gabon. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 2025(1), 4821258. https://doi.org/10.1155/jai/4821258
32. Ndzengboro-Endamane, Ona, I. E. M. M. Z., Mbegha, L. R. E., & Eba, F. (2023). Diagnostic de l’état agropédologique des sols argileux de Kango au Gabon : Diagnosis of the agropedological state of the clay soils of Kango in Gabon. Revue Africaine d’Environnement et d’Agriculture, 6(3), 67‑76. https://doi.org/10.4314/rafea.v6i3.7
33. Oksanen, J., Simpson, G., Blanchet, F. G., Kindt, R., Legendre, P., Minchin, P., Hara, R., Solymos, P., Stevens, H., Szöcs, E., Wagner, H., Barbour, M., Bedward, M., Bolker, B., Borcard, D., Carvalho, G., Chirico, M., De Cáceres, M., Durand, S., Weedon, J., (2022). vegan community ecology package version 2.6-2 April 2022.
34. Pacoureau N, Rigby CL, Kyne PM, Sherley RB, Winker H, Carlson JK, Fordham SV, Barreto R, Fernando D, Francis MP, Jabado RW, Herman KB, Liu KM, Marshall AD, Pollom RA, Romanov EV, Simpfendorfer CA, Yin JS, Kindsvater HK, Dulvy NK. Half a century of global decline in oceanic sharks and rays. Nature. 2021 Jan;589(7843):567-571. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-03173-9. Epub 2021 Jan 27. PMID: 33505035.
35. Plumlee, J. D., Dance, K. M., Matich, P., Mohan, J. A., Richards, T. M., TinHan, T. C., Fisher, M. R., & Wells, R. J. D. (2018). Community structure of elasmobranchs in estuaries along the northwest Gulf of Mexico. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 204, 103‑113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2018.02.023
36. Raffestin, C. (1986). Territorialité: Concept ou paradigme de la géographie sociale? Geographica Helvetica, 41(2), 91–96. https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-41-91-1986
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Published
2025-12-31
How to Cite
Mbeng Mendene, T. T., Kema Kema, J. R., Okanga Guay, M., Akendengue Aken, I., Minko Youri, M., & Nkollo-Kema Kema, C. A. (2025). Territorializing Aquatic Biodiversity: Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) and Elasmobranch Distribution in the Kango Estuary (Gabon). European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 21(35), 123. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2025.v21n35p123
Section
ESJ Humanities
Copyright (c) 2025 Teddy Tanguy Mbeng Mendene, Judicael Regis Kema Kema, Marjolaine Okanga Guay, Igor Akendengue Aken, Mvomo Minko Youri, Christy Achtone Kema Kema Nkollo Aganga
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
