Ocean state projections: A review of the West African marine environment.

The marine and coastal environment of West Africa provide several resources and potential benefits to its people much as it presents numerous challenges and dangers that need to be addressed for sustainable exploitation of such resources. The need for projection of ocean waves is paramount to providing information for several purposes, including safety at sea and design of marine and coastal structures. Ocean wave projections in the region is still however in its infant stages. Increasing levels of developments and reliance on the marine and coastal environment of West Africa presents an opportunity for the development of regional wave parameterization physics or schemes that will provide accurate and more reliable ocean wave and sea state products and information for decision making that contributes to blue growth and the general Blue Economy agenda of the region. This review provides a general information on the diverse nature of the West Africa marine and coastal environment with respect to its oceanography, climate and meteorology, as well as studies related to general ocean wave projections and related issues. This is aimed at raising awareness on the need to investigate the appropriate ocean wave parameterization schemes for accurate projection of wave properties in the West Africa Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]