Areas of high conservation value in the Ghanaian exclusive economic zone

Humans, as terrestrial organisms, have historically focused conservation efforts on terrestrial ecosystems. In Ghana, while there are laws and policies supporting the protection of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, the country’s marine ecosystems lack equivalent protections. Research on areas of high conservation value in Ghana has primarily emphasized terrestrial habitats, particularly forested regions. These studies address biodiversity, deforestation, wildlife protection, and habitat restoration within forest ecosystems. However, marine ecosystems have received limited attention in conservation efforts. This study identifies areas of high conservation value along Ghana's coastline and within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) based on the spatial distribution and conservation status of marine organisms. By categorizing these organisms into spatially restricted and spatially pervasive groups, the findings reveal that spatially restricted organisms are concentrated primarily in the northern areas of Ghana's EEZ, while spatially pervasive organisms inhabit nearly the entire zone (over 99%). The conservation value across Ghana's EEZ generally decreases with increasing distance from the shore, reflecting the concentration of critical habitats and source organism populations in nearshore zones, which paradoxically coincide with areas of greatest anthropogenic pressure. On a scale of 1 to 10, Ghana’s EEZ has an overall conservation value of 8, as determined by a weighted mean calculation. These findings underscore the need for robust policy enactments, reviews, and implementations to protect these critical areas, particularly those nearer to shorelines where conservation values are highest and anthropogenic impacts are severe.