Biodiversity in the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands: A Synthesis

Abstract

The Gulf of Guinea oceanic islands (Príncipe, São Tomé, and Annobón) are among the most endemic-rich regions of the planet. Historical scientific studies of the islands’ unique biodiversity are scattered in a variety of publications, many of which are difficult to access. More recently, there has been a growing interest in the islands, which is reflected in a burst of new studies, reports, and ongoing projects. Here we aim to provide an updated and comprehensive synthesis, covering all the key information and references on the biodiversity of these islands. The goal of the book is to be a comprehensive reference for students, researchers, and conservationists dedicated to the study and preservation of this unique biodiversity. It also intends to serve as a basis for local stakeholders to make informed decisions, namely regarding conservation actions. The book is divided into three main sections: (1) a general overview of the islands and their biodiversity, including aspects of natural and human history (six chapters); (2) detailed accounts on different taxonomic groups (16 chapters); and (3) the conservation, environmental education, and research challenges that lie ahead (three chapters).

Biogeography and Evolution in the Oceanic Islands of the Gulf of Guinea

“…The updated checklists for terrestrial groups in the oceanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea (reference list in Ceríaco et al 2022a) reveal a few principal patterns:…”

“…Readers will likely notice that this overview is limited and biased towards terrestrial vertebrates. For other taxonomic groups, the diversity of the islands is still incompletely documented and described (Ceríaco et al 2022a), and thus building the essential foundation for future hypothesis-driven studies is still a work in progress for these other taxa. A brief overview of marine biogeography in the Gulf of Guinea is described in Costa et al (2022).…”

The colonisation of Madagascar by land‐bound vertebrates

“…Notably, in other island systems where non‐volant vertebrates are present and land bridges could not have facilitated the ancestors' passages, assemblages are dominated by reptile clades, with mammal and amphibian groups being fewer or even absent, e.g. Christmas Island (Ali, Aitchison & Meiri, 2020), Galápagos Archipelago (Ali & Fritz, 2021), Greater Antilles (Ali & Hedges, 2021), and Gulf of Guinea (Ceríaco et al ., 2022). The Malagasy land‐vertebrate suite follows this pattern.…”

Two new species of Hydraena Kugelann, 1794 from São Tomé Island—an apparent adaptive radiation (Coleoptera, Hydraenidae)

“…The Gulf of Guinea contains three truly oceanic islands (Príncipe, São Tomé and Annobón), formed as a result of activity of the Cameroon Volcanic Line, whose biodiversity is characterised by relatively low species richness but very high endemism, reflecting the long and continuous isolation of these islands (Pyrcz 1992;Ceríaco et al 2022a). Three species of Hydraena have been previously described from islands in the Gulf of Guinea: H. pagaluensis Hernando & Ribera, 2001, an aquatic species from the oceanic island of Annobón and H. bubi Ribera, 2017 andH.…”