EnviroTeach Editions

Over millions of years, the weather, ocean currents and other processes have shaped the South African coast to look like it does now. South Africa is privileged to have two oceans: the Atlantic Ocean on the western coast and the Indian Ocean on the eastern coast. The Indian Ocean is the smallest of the earth’s oceans and is generally much warmer than the Atlantic Ocean because of the warm Agulhas current. This current flows southward from Mozambique and Madagascar. The Atlantic Ocean is much colder because of the cold Benguela current which flows north along the west coast.

These currents are very important because they have an influence on animals and plants living in the sea, as well as on South Africa’s weather

Coastal plants and coastal animals have adapted to their environment. A group of coastal plants and animals that interact with each other and with their environment is called a coastal ecosystem examples are the coastal waters, sandy shores, rocky shores, rivers, estuaries, coastal wetlands, islands and coral reefs.

Although these different ecosystems are interconnected, each one of them differs and offers a different kind of environment for the plants and animals living in that environment. Two very important factors for land plants and animals living on the coast are rainfall and temperature. For the plants and animals living in the water, the temperature of the water is very much influenced by the temperature of the ocean current in that area. Close to the shore, tides and waves are also important. For plants and animals living on the shore, two things are important: the exposure to air and whether the surface of the land is sandy or rocky.