Mauritius Coast lines and Coastal Erosion

The Island of Mauritius and the surrounding coral reef was created by volcanic activity.  Trou aux Cerfs is a now dormant volcano crater that lies in the region known as Curepipe.

The Distribution of Coral Reef surrounding nearly the entire island is due to fringing reef.  As the volcano erodes and begins to shrink, coral starts to grow around it and the further the volcano erodes the more the coral expands and forms a barrier. 

                (Aerial view of Mauritius and the surrounding coral reef and coast lines.)

The coast lines of Mauritius are varying and consist of sandy shores, rocky shores, muddy shores, mixed shores, cliffs, wetlands, and a Calcarerous limestone shore. 

Mauritius Coastline

The varying coastal varieties are due to coastal erosion either because of natural factors and/or human activity. 

The sandy shores of Mauritius are composed of loose particles made up of various sediments that have eroded over time and are of carbonate origin such as: molluscan shells, crustose, sponge spicules, coral fragments, echinoderm spicules, and calcareous algae.

(Mont Choisy Beach, rated #6 on the top 20 Beaches of Mauritius)

Rocky Shores, as seen on La Cambuse Beach, occur because of volcanic outflows into the ocean.  Rocky Shores can also be seen on the West coast of the island between Flic en Flac and Albion.

                (La Cambuse Beach, located on the South Western Coast)

The muddy shores of Mauritius consist of clay, fine sand, and silt often presented parallel to the coast where deep channels form

                {Black River, a part of the Riviere Noire district on the western side. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com)}

 An example of a Mauritius stretch of shoreline can be seen in the Roche Noire regions on the upper eastern coast of the island, consisting of rocky, sandy, and muddy cliffs with pocket beaches.

 (photo Courtesy of Mauritius tourist guide.com)

A cliff shoreline can be seen in Souillac, with low and high cliffs that occur due to natural erosion.

                (Souillac Region, located on the southernmost tip of the island)

Pointe d’Ensy, located on the western shores of the island, is classified as wetlands shoreline.  With low-lying shores, the area floods at high tide and as the water recedes the shore becomes exposed.  With mangroves, the shore consists of silt and clay.

                {Google image of Pointe d’Ensy (photo courtesy of annikakinch.com)}

  

The last Mauritius characterized shoreline, is a Calcareous limestone shore.  This type of rock is classified as a coarse sedimentary carbonate that is exposed and raised.  It becomes eroded due to the fluctuation of the ocean sea levels and causes jagged and sharp structures

                {Angasa Balaclava Mauritius (photo courtesy of Tripadvisor)}

Works Cited:

Allen, Casey. "Lecture 12: Rock Basics...background to Understand Earth's Landscapes." Lecture.

Allen, Casey. "Lecture 22: Coastal Landscapes and Processes." Lecture.

Et. Island Studies Journal, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2011, Pp. 157-178. Web.

Mauritius. Digital Images. Google.com. Web.

Onaka, Susumu, Hiroshi Hashimoto, S.r. Nashreen Banu Soogun, and Amit Jheengut. "Coastal Erosion and Demonstration Project as Coastal Adaptation Measures in Mauritius." Handbook of Coastal Disaster Mitigation for Engineer and Planners (2015): 561-77. Web.

Prasetya, Grega. "Chapter 4 Protection from Coastal Erosion." Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Web. Apr. 2017.