Canvey Island the 30 hectares known as West Canvey marshes, acquired by the RSPB in 2007, and the Canvey Wick nature reserve. Canvey Wick is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at the site of the abandoned and incomplete oil refinery. The foundations of the 100 hectare (0.4 sq mile) site were prepared in the 1970s by laying thousands of tonnes of silt dredged from the Thames; the abandoned and undisturbed area has flourished as a haven for around 1,300 species of wildlife, many of which are endangered or were thought to be extinct; including the shrill carder bee, the
Wouri estuary are divided by the Dibamba River and by Monaka Bay and Island. About of the mangrove forest is within the Mouanko Reserve, which extends from the south shore of the estuary to the Sanaga River mouth. The mangrove "Rhizophora racemosa", which makes up over 90% of mangroves in Cameroon, reaches a height of in the Wouri estuary. "Nypa fruticans", an exotic species imported to Nigeria from South-East Asia, has been spreading quickly, encouraged by the local people. The mangrove forests are an important source of wood for making furniture and fences, for smoking fish and for fuel. The leaves of