Atlantic coastal desert | |
---|---|
Ecology | |
Realm | Palearctic |
Biome | Deserts and xeric shrublands |
Borders | |
Geography | |
Area | 39,137 km2 (15,111 sq mi) |
Countries | |
Conservation | |
Conservation status | Relatively stable/intact |
Protected | 6,872 km2 (18%)[1] |
The Atlantic coastal desert is the westernmost ecoregion in the Sahara Desert of North Africa. It occupies a narrow strip along the Atlantic coast, where the more frequent fog and haze generated offshore by the cool Canary Current provides sufficient moisture to sustain a variety of lichens, succulents, and shrubs.