The Ébrié Lagoon lies in Ivory Coast, separated for almost all of its length from the Atlantic Ocean by a narrow coastal strip. The long lagoon is linked to the sea by the Vridi Canal, while the Comoë River flows into it. The lagoon averages 4 km (2½ mi) in width, and in depth. Abidjan and towns such as Grand Bassam, Bingerville, Jacqueville, Attécoubé, and Tiagba lie on the lagoon. Geography The Ébrié Lagoon is a long narrow lagoon complex located in the south of Ivory Coast. It lies parallel with the coast on an east/west axis and consists of several linked lagoons. At the eastern end it is linked by a channel to the Aghien and Potou Lagoons, into which the Mé River flows. The other major rivers flowing into the lagoon are the Komoé River in the east, the Agnéby River in the centre, and the Ira River in the west. At the western end, Ébrié is linked by the Asagni Canal to the Tagba Lagoon and the Bandama River. It is connected to the Gulf of Guinea by the Vridi Canal, which was opened as a navigable channel in 1950. The natural mouth of the complex is at Grand-Bassam, but this tends to silt up during the dry season. There are several large and many small islands in the lagoon. The cities of Abidjan, Bingerville, Jacqueville, Attécoubé, Tiagba and Dabou lie beside the lagoon and it is crossed by four bridges. The Ébrié Lagoon has an area of approximately , a maximum length of , and a maximum width of . The average depth is and the maximum depth is . The amount of fresh water entering the lagoon varies with the time of year, but averages per year, and tidal exchanges with the sea average per year. The water is brackish, varying in salinity from 0 to 35‰. It is also turbid and polluted, especially near Abidjan, with high levels of nitrogen and phosphate. Flora and fauna There are extensive areas around the lagoon dominated by mangroves such as Rhizophora racemosa, and the golden leather fern Acrostichum aureum. Elsewhere, there are floating aquatic plants in the bays and backwaters, and reeds, sedges and grasses at the edges of the water. The lagoon is separated from the sea by a sandbar and much of the terrain close to the lagoon is swampy, with taller vegetation and some