Ulenge Island | |
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Location | Tanzania, Tanga Region, Tanga District |
Nearest city | Tanga |
Coordinates | 5°0′28″S 39°9′42″E / 5.00778°S 39.16167°E |
Length | 1.0 km (0.62 mi) |
Width | 0.2 km (0.12 mi) |
Established | 2010 |
Governing body | Marine Parks & Reserves Authority (Tanzania) |
Website | Tanga Marine Reserves System |
Ulenge Island officially, Ulenge Island Marine Reserve (Kisiwa cha Hifadhi Akiba cha Ulenge, in Swahili) is a protected, seasonally habited island in the Tanga Bay of Pemba Channel under the Tanga Marine Reserves (TMRS) with the IUCN category II located within Tanga City Council of Tanga Region in Tanzania. Kwale Island and Ulenge Island are the only islands in the marine reserve that are seasonally inhabited. Of Tanga's whole marine reserves system, Ulenge Island is the most degraded. Ulenge's reefs had the lowest fish numbers and the lowest coral cover and species diversity (5-7%, 16 coral genera). This is mostly because Tanga Bay and Tanga City Council are nearby, which has a greater negative human impact. Ulenge Island is nicknamed by English speakers as Bird Island due to its importance as a seabird sanctuary.[1][2]