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ATLAS REPORT
Country report: Seychelles
Generated 15 October 2026, 15:07 from live Atlas data
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Executive summary
Atlas holds 30,001 mapped features and 23,095 observations in 13 datasets. The mapped mangrove canopy covers 1,650 ha in 741 polygons across 1 formation classes; Mangrove dominates with 100.0% of the area. The median patch is only 0.176 ha, while patches of 10 ha or more hold 71.5% of the area. 0 ha (0.0%) lies within 10 km of the LAPSSET development footprint.
Single mapping epoch (2019). Areas are geodesic hectares recalculated from geometry.
Species & formations
| Formation | Polygons | Area (ha) | Share | Mean patch (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mangrove | 741 | 1,650.2 | 100.0% | 2.23 |
Shannon evenness by area: 0.00
Pressure: LAPSSET and villages
Mangrove ha by distance from LAPSSET
Mangrove ha by distance from villages
Data quality
| Dataset | Features | Repaired | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, Seychelles | 721 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, Seychelles | 741 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, Seychelles | 703 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, Seychelles | 648 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, Seychelles | 645 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, Seychelles | 645 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, Seychelles | 672 | 0 | 100 |
| polygons | 11 | 0 | 95 |
| Fibre Cable Landing Stations | 126 | 0 | 95 |
| Small airport | 1,979 | 0 | 95 |
| Irrigated Areas | 23,095 | 1 | 95 |
| Seagrass (UNEP-WCMC): Seychelles | 14 | 0 | 90 |
| Community and nature projects (UNDP): Seychelles | 1 | 0 | 90 |
Recommendations
High 14 of 9 themes have no data yet
Atlas holds no records for: Salt Marsh, Coastal Forests, Blue Carbon, Restoration Sites, Carbon Projects, Biodiversity, Land Use & Land Cover, People & Settlements, Wildlife & Habitats, Fire & Climate, Farming & Livelihoods, Mining, Oil & Licences, Surveys & Field Data, Boundaries & Reference. Seagrass and salt marsh would come from UNEP-WCMC global datasets; carbon projects from the Verra and Gold Standard registries; community projects from partner programmes.
Action: Ingest the planned sources listed in the Source Catalogue, starting with Global Mangrove Watch, UNEP-WCMC seagrass and salt marsh, and the carbon registries.
High Licence terms to be confirmed for 4 datasets
Licence terms are being confirmed with the publisher. Atlas holds the data for scientific and internal use and shows the original attribution, but cannot grant bulk redistribution rights.
Action: Request written permission from WWF Kenya, KMFRI and KFS for redistribution and derivative products.
Medium Most polygons are very small, but most area sits in large stands
38.7% of the 741 mapped polygons are under 0.1 ha, yet patches of 10 ha or more hold 71.5% of all mangrove area. Management and monitoring effort should focus on the large stands, while the small-patch tail needs checking against satellite imagery.
Action: Prioritise field verification of large stands; review the sub-0.1 ha tail for mapping artefacts.
Low Net gain of mangrove since 1996
Global Mangrove Watch maps 1,594 ha of mangrove in Seychelles in 1996 and 1,691 ha in 2025: a net gain of 97 ha (6.1%), about 3 ha per year. This is the net balance of total mapped area; gains and losses inside the country can cancel out, so real loss may be larger.
Datasets & sources
| Dataset | Publisher | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, Seychelles | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 721 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, Seychelles | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 741 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, Seychelles | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 703 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, Seychelles | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 648 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, Seychelles | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 645 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, Seychelles | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 645 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, Seychelles | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 672 |
| polygons | WWF Kenya | 11 |
| Fibre Cable Landing Stations | WWF Kenya | 126 |
| Small airport | WWF Kenya | 1,979 |
| Irrigated Areas | WWF Kenya | 23,095 |
| Seagrass (UNEP-WCMC): Seychelles | UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and Short FT | 14 |
| Community and nature projects (UNDP): Seychelles | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | 1 |
Methods & limits
Areas and lengths are recomputed on the WGS 84 ellipsoid; units are harmonised (ha, m, %, UTC). The mapping is a single 2019 epoch; the source publishes no licence; field plots are a sample; scenario figures are illustrative assumptions. Cite the original publishers listed above. Full methods: Methodologies page.