Liberia’s Coastline and Marine Environment

Atlantic Liberia

Liberia’s Coastline and Marine Environment

Liberia Civic land and resources collection

Liberia faces the Atlantic Ocean along a low-lying coast shaped by beaches, estuaries, lagoons, mangroves, rocky headlands, and busy settlements. The coast supports fishing, trade, transport, tourism, biodiversity, and the daily life of coastal communities.

Ports and coastal communities

Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, and Harper connect Liberia to regional and international shipping. Smaller landing sites sustain artisanal fisheries. Nine of Liberia’s fifteen counties have an Atlantic coastline.

Mangroves and estuaries

Mangroves shelter young fish, reduce erosion, store carbon, and help buffer communities from waves and storm surges. Estuaries mix fresh and salt water and are among the country’s most productive ecosystems.

Coastal change

Erosion, flooding, sand mining, waste, poorly planned construction, and sea-level rise place people and infrastructure at risk. Responses require coastal planning, environmental enforcement, community knowledge, and resilient public works.

Responsible institutions

The Environmental Protection Agency, National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, Liberia Maritime Authority, National Port Authority, and county and municipal authorities share responsibilities across this environment.

Sources and verification

← Return to Land, Waters, Boundaries, and Natural Resources

Measurements, legal designations, programs, and resource data can change. Liberia Civic dates its sources and distinguishes confirmed facts from proposals and estimates.