Best Mangrove

Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve is a protected coastal wetland on the western side of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Its lagoon, mangroves, salt marshes, dunes, and shallow coastal waters support fish, reptiles, and numerous resident and migratory birds. The reserve is especially known as a feeding and...

The mud crab, scientifically known as *Portunidae*, is a large crustacean inhabiting mangrove and estuarine environments across the Indo-Pacific region. These crabs are notable for their substantial size and are commercially harvested for human consumption and aquaculture. They are particularly impo...

The Bhitarkanika Mangroves in Odisha, India, form the country's second-largest mangrove ecosystem and a Ramsar site declared in 2002, sheltering the world's largest known nesting congregation of saltwater crocodiles.

La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve is a protected coastal wetland in Chiapas on Mexico's Pacific coast and has formed part of UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2006. It encompasses mangrove forests, lagoons, estuaries, marshes, seasonally flooded forests, and coastal dunes. These habi...

The Rufiji Delta is a major river delta formed by the Rufiji River as it empties into the Indian Ocean in southern Tanzania. It is recognized as one of the largest deltas in East Africa, covering an extensive area of tidal channels, mudflats, and mangrove swamps. The delta contains the largest conti...

The Térraba-Sierpe Wetlands occupy the lower Térraba and Sierpe river basins on Costa Rica's southern Pacific coast. This Ramsar-designated wetland contains the country's largest mangrove system, together with estuaries, tidal channels, lagoons, and seasonally flooded areas that support fish, shellf...

The Mai Po Marshes are a coastal wetland area located in Hong Kong. This Ramsar Site, recognized globally since 1995, protects significant mangrove habitats and tidal flats. It’s notable for its crucial role as a vital stopover point during the migration of numerous bird species. The marshes support...

The Caroni Swamp Marshes are mangrove wetlands on Trinidad's west coast, notable as a Ramsar site and a major roost for the scarlet ibis.

Cassiopea xamachana is a species of upside-down jellyfish found in shallow tropical waters of the western Atlantic, including the Caribbean. It commonly rests bell-down on sandy or muddy bottoms in mangroves and lagoons, positioning its branching oral arms toward sunlight. Photosynthetic dinoflagell...

The Orinoco Delta swamps form an extensive complex of flooded forests, marshes, mangroves, and distributary channels where the Orinoco River reaches the Atlantic in northeastern Venezuela. Flooding, tides, and freshwater sediment shape habitats that support fish, aquatic mammals, reptiles, and numer...

The Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta is a significant coastal wetland ecosystem located in northern Colombia. This Ramsar-designated lagoon represents one of the world’s largest mangrove swamps and an important estuarine delta. It supports diverse aquatic life including numerous bird species and fish p...

The Bhitarkanika Wetlands in India are a Ramsar-protected mangrove ecosystem, internationally notable for harboring a large, thriving population of endangered saltwater crocodiles.

Caroni Swamp is a large mangrove wetland on the Gulf of Paria coast of Trinidad and is protected as a Ramsar site. Its tidal channels, mudflats, lagoons, and mangrove forests support fish, crustaceans, reptiles, and numerous waterbirds. The wetland is especially associated with scarlet ibises, which...

Mai Po Marshes are intertidal wetlands in Hong Kong's Deep Bay, designated a Ramsar site in 1995 and important to East Asian-Australasian migratory birds.

The Marismas Nacionales are a significant coastal marsh located in Nayarit, Mexico. This Ramsar site encompasses extensive mangrove and saltmarsh ecosystems representing some of the largest remaining Pacific shoreline wetlands in the Americas. It’s recognized for its biodiversity value and crucial r...

Tripedalia cystophora is a small species of box jellyfish found in shallow tropical mangrove habitats, particularly in the Caribbean region. Like other cubozoans, it has four sensory structures called rhopalia; together these carry 24 eyes of several types, including camera-like eyes with lenses. Re...

The Sapphire-throated Hummingbird (Chrysuronia coeruleogularis) inhabits coastal wetlands from Panama into Colombia and has a bright blue throat.

The Jiquilisco Bay wetlands form a large estuarine and coastal ecosystem in the department of Usulután on El Salvador's Pacific coast. The area includes mangrove forests, tidal channels, mudflats, islands, lagoons, and seasonally flooded land, and it is recognized as a wetland of international impor...

The Sine Saloum Delta in Senegal is a massive wetland ecosystem characterized by extensive mangrove forests and seasonal saline rivers.

Sarstoon-Temash National Park protects wetlands and lowland forests in the Toledo District of southern Belize, near the Guatemalan border. The park lies around the lower Sarstoon and Temash rivers and includes mangrove, freshwater wetland, riverine, and tropical forest habitats. Its remote coastal a...

The Sundarbans Mangrove Forest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers in South Asia. It’s the world's largest single block of mangrove forest supporting unique biodiversity including the endangered Bengal tiger and numerous fish, reptile, b...

Black River Lower Morass is Jamaica's largest herbaceous wetland, a 5,700-hectare Ramsar site on the island's southwestern coast.

Cassiopea andromeda is a species of upside-down jellyfish found in shallow tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region. Rather than swimming continuously in open water, it commonly rests with its bell against the seafloor and its branching oral arms directed upward. Its tissues contai...

Towra Point Wetlands form the largest and most diverse surviving estuarine wetland complex in the Sydney region and were designated a Ramsar site in 1984.

The Estero Real wetlands form a mangrove-lined estuary in northwestern Nicaragua that drains toward the Gulf of Fonseca. The wetland includes tidal channels, mudflats, salt flats, mangrove forest, and seasonally flooded areas that support fish, crustaceans, waterbirds, and coastal communities. It is...

The Coringa Mangroves at the mouth of the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh, India, constitute the second-largest mangrove forest in India and a wildlife sanctuary protecting estuarine crocodiles, fishing cats, and important fish nursery habitat.

The Niger Delta Swamps in southern Nigeria form one of the world's largest river deltas at roughly 70,000 sq km, comprising mangroves, freshwater swamps, and creeks that are both biodiversity-rich and heavily impacted by petroleum extraction.

The Gulf of Montijo is a shallow inlet of the Pacific Ocean on the coast of Veraguas Province in Panama. Its coastal environment includes mangrove forests, estuaries, mudflats, beaches, and islands that support fish, waterbirds, and other wildlife. The gulf and surrounding wetlands are designated as...

The Irrawaddy Delta Swamps in Myanmar span approximately 20,000 sq km of mangroves, tidal flats, and freshwater marshes at the mouth of the Irrawaddy River, forming one of Southeast Asia's most productive but threatened coastal wetland systems.