Santa Luzia, Cape Verde
Santa Luzia is an island of the Barlavento archipelago in Cape Verde, located between São Nicolau and São Vicente.
The island, along with the islets Branco and Raso, was designated the Santa Luzia Nature Reserve in 1990 and the Santa Luzia Marine Protected Area. All three are on the tentative list of UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites.
Although the island has never had permanent long-term human inhabitants, it is inhabited by various animals, including sea turtles and a variety of birds.
History
The island was discovered on December 13, 1461, and named after the saint of the day, Saint Lucy, by Portuguese explorer Diogo Afonso, who was serving under Prince Henry the Navigator.Recent
In the 20th century, a meteorology station was built. Today, fishermen from the nearby islands of São Vicente and Santo Antão fish in the waters around the island.Geography
The channel of Santa Luzia separates the island of São Vicente, distance, and is wide. The area is 2. All of the Cape Verdean islands are of volcanic origin. The highest point is Topona elevation. Santa Luzia is long and wide.Santa Luzia is part of the northern Barlovento group of islands, specifically the western subgroup of windward islands, which includes the volcanic and rocky islands of Santo Antão, São Vicente, São Nicolau, the islets Branco and Raso, as well as the uninhabited Santa Luzia. The island sits off the westernmost point of Africa, approximately from Dakar, the capital of Senegal.,
Climate
The island has an arid climate and a desert-like landscape.Government
Administratively, it is not part of any municipality, but in the public domain of the state of Cape Verde. The islands proclaiimed their independance on 5 July 1975, with the new name, The República Cabo Verde.Protection status
Together with the islets of Branco and Raso, Santa Luzia was placed on the tentative list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in 2016. Santa Luzia, Ilhéu Branco and Ilhéu Raso were declared a protected area as Santa Luzia Nature Reserve in 1990. In addition to the islands proper,, the nature reserve covers of ocean.The NGO conservation organization Bisofera1, working with the Cape Verde government, monitors and protects the Santa Luzia Nature Reserve and the Santa Luzia Marine Protected Area that covers approximately. Funding and support are provided by Ecofund, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, which includes l'Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the Fondation Hans Wilsdorf, the Government of Canada, and the World Bank. A common goal is to help civil society engage in biodiversity conservation in threatened ecosystems. The New England Aquarium's Marine Conservation Society, through the Marine Conservation Action Fund and BirdLife International are active in Santa Luzie conservation initiatives. Terrimar is using MCAF to patrol turtle breeding grounds on Santa Luzia. Conservation work can be dangerous. On May 30, 2013, Jairo Mora Sandoval, a marine biologist, was kidnapped and murdered on Moín Beach in Costa Rica. In 2019, British marine biologist Alexander "Zeddy" Seymour drowned while researching sharks and rays in Cape Verde.
In 2022, over 2,000 clutches were recorded. Biosfera Association teams with partners, like Plastic Odyssey, where around 100 volunteers clean up from 60 to 180 tons of trash every single year.
The sea snail species conus santaluziensis can also be found in the waters of Santa Luzia.
Flora
The semi-arid climate is harsh, but there are hardy plants that flourish. The unique endemic species Lotus brunneri, a subshrub, is also found on Sal, Boa Vista, Maio, and also recorded on São Vicente. The perennial shrub Euphorbia tuckeyana is also only found on the Cape Verdean archipelago. The Calotropis procera, an introduced invasive species that has become naturalized, grows on the islands, especially on Sal. There is unconfirmed evidence that the endemic Cape Verde date palm was possibly on the island at some point.Fauna
Wildlife is abundant on the island, but mainly in the surrounding waters.Mammals
The grey long-eared bat is indigenous to Cape Verde, but other than a vagrant trip, there is no evidence of habitat. There is evidence that the House Mouse is on the island. Feral cats were a major concern before being eradicated in 2020.Reptiles
Several species of reptiles make their home on Santa Luzia, or use it as a breeding ground. Stanger's skink, the Raso wall gecko, and Bouvier's leaf-toed gecko, as well as the endangered Hawksbill sea turtles have been observed on the island.Loggerhead sea turtles
The nesting area with sandy beaches on the southern end of the island is considered a biodiversity hotspot. The Loggerhead sea turtle nests on the island. The archipelago is the second-largest nesting area in the Atlantic and hosts the world's third-largest population overall. The organization Sea Sheppard has helped clean up marine debris such as discarded fishing gear.Birds
There is evidence that a colony of Cape Verde Shearwater was historically on the island, but became extirpated with the introduction of invasive species, such as the feral cat. The same appears to be evident with the Boyd's shearwater. When the cats were eradicated, the species began returning to the island. There is hope they will recolonize. The extirpated Raso Lark was reintroduced between 2018 and 2020 from Raso to Santa Luzia. Other birds with historical evidence of nesting on the island, since extirpated, are the White-faced storm petrel. In 1912, the Puffinus boydi was considered a subspecies of the Puffinus lherminieri boydi. The specimen was obtained from Cape Verde. From the mid-to-late 20th century, the species was considered a subspecies of either the Little Shearwater or Audubon's Shearwater. In 2004, evidence showed a reclassification was in order. In 2022, further genetic analysis confirmed that Puffinus boydi, Puffinus baroli and Puffinus lherminieri, should be treated as separate species. In 2024 the American Ornithological Society recognized the separate species Puffinus boydi. The Puffinus baroli. The Cape Verde Storm Petrel has two different groups that breed at different times, referred to as temporal Isolation.The African stonechat has had unconfirmed sightings, but the Canary Island Stonechat nests on the island. The non-native Black-headed Weaver was likely introduced. Sightings of the Cabo Verde Warbler, endemic to Santiago, Fogo, São Nicolau, and Brava, are likely just vagrant. The Cape Verde Swift travels between the islands, but there is no evidence of nesting on Santa Luzia. The non-breeding range of the Northern Gannet extends as far as the Cape Verde islands, including Santa Luzia. The Red-footed Booby has been confirmed nesting on Raso, so sightings around Santa Luzia would be expected. The non-breeding range of the Northern Gannet extends as far as the Cape Verde islands, including Santa Luzia. The Lesser Cape Verde Kestrel, a northern island subspecies of the Common Kestrel, is found on the island. In contrast, the Alexander's Kestrel is found on the southern islands.